What if any changes have been made to the H-1B program?
The recently announced, U.S. Presidential Executive Orders do
not touch upon the H-1B program. However, Congressman Zoe Lofgren,
yesterday, introduced a new bill in the US House of Representatives
by way of proposed statute - "The High-Skilled Integrity and
Fairness Act of 2017." This proposed legislation, like other
bill or similar note, if enacted would make it more difficult for
certain employers to engage H-1B workers.
Do the recent Executive Orders impact travel of Indian
nationals to the US?
Not for the most part. The ban is on nationals of seven
countries that do not include India. However, in an executive order
signed on January 27, 2017, the President instructed the State
Department to immediately suspend the US's Visa Interview
Waiver Program. The Visa Interview Waiver Program allows travelers
to renew travel authorizations without an in-person interview.
