INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
H-1B Visa: The Donald Trump administration has been tightening rules for H-1B visas (AFP)US President Donald Trump's plan to ban spouses of
high-skill visa holders from working will likely push 100,000 people out of jobs and negatively affect the visa holders and their employers,
according to a new research study.The Trump Administration has been tightening the rules for H-1B visas, which allow foreign workers to take
jobs in the US for several years, and plans to revoke the ability of spouses to work as part of the effort
In that context, Christopher J
Cunningham of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Pooja B
Vijayakumar from the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick set out to study the implications of such a policy change.They
found that such a shift would likely isolate spouses socially, raise domestic tensions and strain the family's financial resources
It would also probably hurt the visa holder's satisfaction and increase the risks that they continue in a foreign posting
The cost of failed expatriate assignments ranges from $250,000 to $1 million, in addition to indirect costs, they wrote."Policy changes like
the one being considered for America are often made in the absence of complete information that might help policy makers better understand
the true breadth of likely consequences," the study said.H-1B Visa Program: The work visa programs, which date back to 1952, were originally
designed to allow US companies to hire workers from abroad temporarily when they couldn't find qualified AmericansThe US began allowing
spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in 2015, under the preceding Obama Administration
For their research, the authors studied the experiences of H-1B families in 2014
They contacted 1,800 Indian expatriate to participate in the research and the final sample consisted of 416.The work visa programs, which
date back to 1952, were originally designed to allow US companies to hire workers from abroad temporarily when they couldn't find qualified
But the programs evolved with many allegations that companies, particularly India's outsourcing giants, had been abusing the visas to get
Trump came into office vowing to overhaul the programs and protect American workers.US H-1B Visa Program: The H-1B Visa programs evolved
with many allegations that companies, particularly India's outsourcing giants, had been abusing the visas to get less expensive laborIn that
context, Trump's Department of Homeland Security began the process of reversing the eligibility of H-1B spouses to work
Technology industry groups -- which represent Google and Amazon.com Inc
among others -- have pushed back against the plan, arguing it will hurt spouses, typically women, as well as the visa holders.H-1B visa
holders explained myriad problems when spouses couldn't work
"Very unfair to her, so going back to India," one told the researchers
"My wife is frustrated that she is unable to further her career," said another.H-1B Visa Holders' Spouses: A shift would likely isolate
spouses socially, raise domestic tensions and strain the family's financial resources
It would also probably hurt the visa holder's satisfaction and increase the risks that they continue in a foreign postingThe researchers
said that a reinstated ban likely "will be more critical and difficult for expatriate families than what was experienced in 2014, as many of
these individuals who were temporarily benefited by the previous presidential administration's immigration policies may have, in this time,
bought a home or started their own businesses."The Donald Trump Administration has been tightening the rules for H-1B visas, which allow
foreign workers to take jobs in the US for several years, and plans to revoke the ability of spouses to work as part of the effort
(AFP)Cunningham specializes in industrial, organizational and occupational health psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Vijayakumar is a researcher currently studying expatriation and cross-cultural management.(Except for the headline, this story has not been
edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
