US President Donald Trump is looking at suspending employment visas including the H-1B, much in demand among Indian IT professionals, on the back of rampant unemployment in the US due to COVID-19.

The suspension could extend into the government’s new fiscal year starting October 1, when fresh visas are issued, which could restrict any new H-1B holder outside the country from coming to work until the suspension is revoked.

The existing visa holders in the country are unlikely to be affected, Business Standard reported.

The decision by Trump administration is likely to have an unfavourable impact on Indian IT professionals. A large number of Indians on the H-1B visas have lost their jobs and are leaving for their homes amid the pandemic.

The White House, however, has not taken any final decision and is only considering various proposals put forward by career experts.

In addition to the H-1B visas, the suspension could also be applicable to the H-2B visa for short-term seasonal workers, the J-1 visa for short-term workers and the L-1 visa for internal company transfers.

Meanwhile, the US Chambers of Commerce CEO Thomas Donohue on Thursday wrote a letter to President Trump, expressing concerns over his decision on temporary work visas.

‘As the economy rebounds, American businesses will need assurances that they can meet all their workforce needs. To that end, it is crucial that they have access to talent both domestically and from around the world,’ Donohue wrote to Trump.

‘Policies that would, for example, impose wide-ranging bans on the entry of nonimmigrant workers or impose burdensome new regulatory requirements on businesses that employ foreign nationals would undermine that access to talent and in the process, undercut our economy’s ability to grow and create jobs,’ he added.

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