(Image source from: Forbes.com)
Amid arrests of Indian students in the United States and the possible threat of facing deportation for committing visa fraud, the techies in India said its high time the U.S. eliminate lottery system to grant H-1B visas, instead should be based on skills.
The techies said the University of Farmington has revealed the darkest of immigration woes and opined that with limited work visas available students are forced to look at alternate options.
They said that exempting only first 20, 000 petitions from candidates with the U.S. master's degree or higher from H1B cap is leaving remaining F1 visa holders with no other option but to vie with others among annual cap of 65,000 H-1B visas, failing which they are falling back on Optical Practical Training (OPT) or joining a new course to continue staying in the U.S.
“The cap of 20,000 for students with masters is not enough,” said Bharani Kumar Aroll, general secretary, Cyberabad Security Council adding that now that the U.S. government is going to bring these 20, 000 under the 65, 000 H-1B cap it is going to pose many challenges.
Aroll said American government is not expecting all the students to stay back and work. “They want to pick best and send rest. But, unfortunately, their immigration system is not in sync with this. They should give H1B’s based on talent both for the benefit of students and their immigration system.”
Techies opined that there should an entirely different quota for students, which permits talented ones to work in the U.S. after studies or the current cap of 65, 000 on H1B’s should be increased.
The techies said the ones working in the IT industry should not hesitate to come back if they don’t get a job or seat in a good university.
“Not just students, parents and society should also be blamed for this obsession which is forcing students to go to any extent to stay in the United States,” said Ramesh Loganathan, ex-president of Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association.
“There is no shame in coming back,” he said adding that there are exciting opportunities India and there is absolutely no need to put themselves in such hard situations.
Techies said that if students want to study in the U.S., they should choose the best universities and pursue their education, but warned them against falling for such traps.
“Students should have done research before joining the varsity. This shows their carelessness,” said Loganathan.
In the meantime, attorneys assisting students said that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s entrapment practice has raised a serious concern of violation of Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“Right now, the priority is to get students out of detention cells and request for voluntary departure and make sure that they reach their home country,” said an attorney.
-Sowmya Sangam
