Likely H1B Visa hike? Just for Indians?

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There were news reports all across the Main stream media about a proposed hike of 25% of visas 'for Indians'.  But, clearly the report looks to be a fake one. No press releases from US Embassy in New Delhi or any mention on the USCIS or any of the US media. Just few India news houses and ItWire Australia that started all of this.

All seems to have started with the iTWire, Australia reporting the issue first with an enticing title, 'India likely to get 25% more H1B visas'.

There’s some news to cheer up Indian IT firms. Newly appointed minister of consular affairs at the US Embassy in New Delhi, Peter Kaestner, announced that the US is considering a proposal to raise the H1B work permit quota for India by 25 percent from the current 80,000 to 100,000.

The news item looks to be a completely FAKE report. And all the main stream media just pushed it out, obviously without any confirmation or thought about the news item. Few reasons why the report will be just a fake and totally inaccurate news item:

  • If there is a statement from Minister of consular affairs at the US Embassy in New Delhi, Peter Kaestner, I bet, Peter will have his figures right. Anybody who knows a little about H1B visas will have these numbers right.
  • Current quota is 85000 (65000 + 20000 for people with Advanced Degrees), not 80,000.
  • And this quota is for the whole world. Not just for Indians.
  • If US Embassy has plans to increase visas by 25% just for Indias, they should have given the base number of Indians of which 25% will be hiked.
  • 25% of hike for Indians, does not mean 20000 more visas.  As per last known Statistical report from USCIS about such stats is about year 2003. India was the clear leader with a whopping 36% then. So, if we assume a similar trend, India had around 30000 visas in the current quote. Then, India can get 25% means around 7500 visa hike. Not 20,000 just for India. [USCIS Reports Page]
  • No recent statistics officially from USCIS about how many Indian applicants in the total 85000 quota. So it would be most unlikely that US embassy says 25% hike just for Indians without quoting any baselines
  • And biggest question would be Why would US increases the H1B visas just for Indians ???? Such an announcement would be clearly detrimental to their foreign image. I don't assume they would demonstrate their bias, even if they have some thing of this sort.
  • No news report from USCIS or Embassy of US in New Delhi
  • No mentions in the US Media houses or web sites.

Comments

opinionated indian said…
It is sad that we are celebrating brain drain.

Here's my point of view: http://indianinheritance.wordpress.com/2006/11/14/youth-of-my-nation-career-breaks-in-india-outshine-us-lure/
November 14, 2006 at 4:25 PM
Immigration1 said…
It is always happened that few people came to know about this. USCIS must have to declare properly each news so that it is beneficial for everyone. Thanks
September 6, 2009 at 10:01 PM
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