International - India & World

Bush for raising H1-B visa quota

Washington: The U.S. President, George W. Bush, has made a strong case for increasing the H1-B visa quota, saying it makes "no sense" for America to not allow an Indian scientist come to the country and develop new technologies.

Speaking in Delaware at a Dupont facility, he said: "It makes no sense to say to a young scientist from India, you can't come to America to help this company develop technologies that help us deal with our problems. So we have got to change that ... change that mindset in Washington DC."

Mr. Bush asserted it was in America's interest to let skilled manpower work in the U.S. and increase the number of visas.

"... I also want you to know I understand that we need to make sure that when a smart person from overseas wants to come and work in Dupont, it is in our interests to allow him or her to do so. We have got to expand what is called the H1-B visa. I know the senator and the congressman understand that."

At present, the H1-B cap is 65,000 annually — along with an additional 20,000 H1-Bs for foreign nationals who graduate from an American university. Proposals to raise this to 1,15,000 and with flexibility in the permanent residency quotas, as it pertains to dependents, were in a Senate immigration bill that fell by the wayside last year. — PTI

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu