Indians annually secure a majority of both the H1B visas, meant for foreign workers hired on American soil by US companies, and L1 visas, meant for foreign workers already employed overseas by American firms and being transferred to the US.
Trump had steered clear of any commitment on India’s concerns during a phone conversation with Modi in January, heightening New Delhi’s worries and increasing its reliance on the US Congress to act as a buffer.
“Prime Minister referred to the role of skilled Indian talent in enriching the American economy and society,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said this evening. “He urged developing a reflective, balanced and farsighted perspective on movement of skilled professionals.”
Trump had during his election campaign repeatedly stressed how foreigners were “stealing” American jobs and had promised to curtail work visas for them. He repeated the promise, or threat, in his first public message after the election: a two-minute video uploaded on social media platforms.
