There are nearly 7,000 immigrants from India in greater Kansas City, Kansas. Temples, Indian stores and restaurants have been serving the community for a very long time.

But now the proposed changes in the H1-B visa could leave many Indian-Americans in Kansas and across the country without jobs and, potentially forced to return home.

President Trump signed an executive order on April 19, aimed to make it harder for companies to hire professional skilled foreign workers under the H1-B visa program. According to the government reports in 2015, 71 percent of H-1b visa holders were Indians.

“I may lose my opportunities and my career may be done,” said Akhil Kodaru, a project manager at the Sprint telecommunications company in Kansas City.

Sprint, largely hires skilled workers under H1-B through contracting companies. The company has had multiple large scale layoffs in recent years and many workers in the company believes, does the company require to increase the pay for the workers under the H1-B visa, they would be fired.

Sprint, which largely hires H1-B visa holders through contracting companies, has had multiple large-scale layoffs in recent years, and many employees believe that should the company be required to vastly increase the salaries for these visa holders, they would be fired. Increasing salaries is one proposal that has been made to reform the H1-B visa program.

Multiple agencies are reviewing the program, which will take time, and visa holders in Kansas City are trying to reserve panic for when the consequences of the proposed action become clearer.

“If you start worrying today, then you cannot do your job,” said Vijaykumar Kalimuthu Ponnusamy. “We are here to do the job, at this point - spend some time with the family, friends, and at work - and we can be proactive in …understanding the law and then be prepared for what it is.”

Like many Indians here, Ponnusamy is choosing to remain calm and continue to plant roots in the city.

AMandeep