Even as his administration’s plans to expand the H-1B tech visas remain on hold in the US Congress, President Barack Obama has announced reforms to the non-immigrant l-1B visa programme that are designed to attract global companies and expedite the movement of workers to take up assignments in the United States.
The l-1B visa reform would make it easier for global companies to temporarily move workers from a foreign office to a US office in a faster, simpler way, Obama told a SelectUSA Investment Summit, adding: “This could benefit hundreds of thousands of non-immigrant workers and their employers. That, in turn, will benefit our entire economy and spur additional investment.”
The Department of Homeland Security will clarify guidelines for global companies seeking to staff new and expanding US operations with specialised knowledge related to their company or industry without impacting job opportunities for US workers.
Obama’s announcement was greeted with cheers by representatives of a large number of Indian and foreign companies attending the summit. Hitherto, Indian companies have been up against the problem of large-scale decline of l-1 visas for their US operations.
He, however, conceded that it is the passage of the long-pending comprehensive immigration reform package that would make America more attractive to businesses.
“That’s why I’m going to continue to push and prod and poke and cajole friends in the Republican Party to get on board and help us get this done,” he said.