Donald Trump’s government will come to power in America on January 20. In this government, Elon Musk, owner of Tesla Company and social media platform X, will be the Minister of Government Efficiency.
Indian-origin Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswami have been given the big responsibility of cutting government spending in the new government to be formed in America.
But even before coming to power, Elon Musk has scared away Indians coming to America in search of work. In fact, Elon Musk has termed the H-1B Visa policy as flawed. People from all over the world come to America to work on this visa.
Elon Musk has called the H-1B visa system a leak. He believes that this system needs major improvements. The special thing is that a few days ago he had vowed to save this system. Now he is seeing flaws in it. Elon Musk, while answering a user’s question in his post on X, said that I am very clear. This system is broken and needs major improvements. The user had written that America needs to become the center of talented people of the world.
What will be the impact on Indians?
Now the question arises that what will be the impact of this move of Elon Musk on Indians? In fact, Elon Musk said that the minimum salary criteria for obtaining a visa should be increased so that it becomes more expensive for employers to hire foreigners than domestic workers.
Elon Musk said in his post, “This can be easily fixed by raising the minimum wage as needed and adding an annual cost to maintain an H1B. Which makes it more expensive to hire people from abroad compared to domestic people. I am clear that this program is not good and needs major improvements.”
Visa, immigration and employment conditions for Indians in the US change from time to time. To a large extent, this depends on the policies of the US government and the economic situation there. If the current or future government tightens immigration policies, it may be difficult for Indians and other foreign nationals to go to the US and get jobs.
Potential Impact
1. H-1B Visa Policy: H-1B Visa is the main medium for Indian professionals, especially in the IT sector. If there is any tightening on this visa, it will directly impact Indian professionals.
2. Green Card Backlog: Indian citizens have to wait a long time for a Green Card. If there are changes in policies, this process may become more complicated.
3. Priority for locals in jobs: If a policy like ‘American First’ is promoted in the US, then American companies will be encouraged to give jobs to local citizens, which may reduce opportunities for Indians.
4. Changes in immigration policy: Some stricter rules may be implemented to curb illegal immigration, but this may also affect legal immigration.
Ways to improve the situation:
5. Skill development: If you specialize in areas that are in high demand in the US (such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Healthcare), your chances may be better.
6. Use of Study Visa: Taking a study visa to go to the US for higher education and work there may be a better option.
7. Options in other countries: There are also good opportunities for Indian professionals in Canada, Australia and European countries.
The current situation can only be accurately assessed based on the clear statements or policies of any government. If you are planning to move to the US, it would be best to consult an immigration expert.
8. Non-immigrant Visa (Temporary Stay): These are for individuals who travel to the United States for specific purposes such as tourism, business, study, work, or medical treatment.
9. Tourist and Business Visa: B1: For business purposes (e.g., attending conferences, consulting with business associates). B2: For tourism, recreation, or medical treatment. B1/B2: Combined visa for business and tourism.
10. Student and Exchange Visitor Visas: F1: For academic study (e.g., college/university). M1: For professional or non-academic study. J1: For exchange programs including internships, training, or research.
11. Work Visa: H1B
for low-skilled workers (common in IT and engineering). L1: For intra-company transferees. O1: For individuals with exceptional ability in fields such as science, art or athletics. H2B: For temporary non-agricultural work. P: For athletes, entertainers or artists.
12. Transit and Crew Member Visa: C1: For transit through the United States. D: For crew members of ships or aircraft.
13. Other non-immigrant visas: K1: For fiancés of US citizens. R1: For religious workers. I: For journalists and media professionals.
14. Immigrant Visa (Permanent Residence): These visas are for individuals who intend to reside in the US permanently.
15. Family-sponsored immigration: For close relatives of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents (e.g., spouses, children, parents).
16. Employment-Based Immigration: Categories include preferred workers, skilled professionals, and investors (EB1 to EB5).
17. Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV Lottery): However, India is generally ineligible for the DV Lottery due to the high level of immigration to the US.
18. Special Immigrant Visa: For certain individuals such as religious workers or US government employees abroad.
19. Humanitarian Visa: U Visa: For victims of crimes assisting law enforcement. T Visa: For victims of human trafficking.
20. Refugee Status: For those seeking protection due to persecution. Indian citizens typically apply for these visas through the US Consulate in India (e.g., in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata).
