US Lawmakers Urge Trump to Reconsider H1-B Visa Proclamation Amid Concerns Over US-India Ties

US lawmakers have urged President Donald Trump to reconsider his proclamation on H1-B visas, including the USD 100,000 fee, asserting that Indian nationals are central to American leadership in IT and AI, and the restrictions will negatively impact US-India ties. US Representative Jimmy Panetta, along with Members of Congress Ami Bera, Salud Carbajal and Julie Johnson, wrote to President Trump on the issue. The lawmakers expressed concern over President Trump’s ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’ proclamation on the H1-B visa programme that imposes a USD 100,000 fee on new petitions amid other restrictions. They urged him to reconsider his 19th of September proclamation in light of the decision’s potentially negative impacts on the US-India relationship. They stressed that many of America’s most successful companies were founded or led by former H-1B holders, who drive new businesses and job creation and keep the United States at the forefront of technological progress.