H1-B visa suspension likely to affect movement of skilled professionals, assessing impact: MEA

India said on Thursday that the US suspending H-1B and other work visas till the year-end is likely to affect the movement of skilled professionals and the impact of the order on Indian nationals and industry is being assessed in consultation with the stakeholders.

"This (development) is likely to affect the movement of skilled professionals who avail of these non-immigrant visa programmes to work lawfully in the US. We are assessing the impact of the order on Indian nationals and industry in consultation with stakeholders," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during the weekly briefing.

He said people-to-people linkages, as well as trade and economic cooperation in technology and innovation sectors, are an important dimension in the US-India partnership.

"High-skilled Indian professionals bring important skill sets, bridge technological gaps, and impart a competitive edge to the US economy. The US has always welcomed talent and we hope our professionals will continue to be welcomed in the USA in the future," he said.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration said it was extending the 60-day ban on immigration and non-immigrant worker visas till the end of 2020.

Popular work visas, including the much-coveted H-1B and H-2B, and certain categories of H-4, J, and L visas shall also remain suspended.

The restrictions have been put in place to ensure American workers take first priority as the country recovers from the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said.

The move would free up 525,000 jobs, denting the high unemployment rate caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Apart from the suspension of these work visas, the executive order signed by Trump has also made sweeping changes to the H-1B work visa norms, which will no longer be decided by the currently prevalent lottery system. The new norms will now favour highly-skilled workers who are paid the highest wages by their respective compes.

( With inputs from ANI )