US VICE PRESIDENT JD Vance’s upcoming visit to India, scheduled from April 21 to 24, comes as thousands of Indian H-1B visa holders in the US express growing concerns over immigration uncertainties.
Ashish Gupta, a software engineer working for Qualcomm in Michigan, recently cancelled a planned trip to Delhi. Although he holds a valid H-1B visa, he told The Times that he was advised by an immigration lawyer against travelling due to uncertainties under Donald Trump’s policies.
Gupta is among many Indians reportedly delaying trips home. Indians make up 70 per cent of all H-1B visa holders, with over 200,000 visas issued to Indians last year, according to The Times.
The visa issue is expected to come up during Vance’s visit to Delhi on Monday, where he will meet prime minister Narendra Modi.
“I’d expect him to say we’ll play ball on America deporting illegal Indian immigrants but in return Modi may ask for more H-1B visas to be issued. At the very least, no curtailment,” Vivek Mishra of the Observer Research Foundation told The Times.
Vance’s four-day visit aims to strengthen US-India ties, with trade and economic cooperation on the agenda. Talks are ongoing for a comprehensive trade agreement, targeting $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.
Public attention is high given Vance’s family ties to India. His wife, Usha, has roots in Andhra Pradesh, a state from where many software professionals have moved to the US. Telugu is now the fastest-growing language in the US.
India may also raise concerns about an influx of Chinese goods, with the trade deficit nearing $100 billion. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal said India seeks trade ties with developed countries, not China.
FILE PHOTO: Nepal's former Chief Justice Sushila Karki looks on during the launch of her autobiography "Nyaya" at a ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal, September 22, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer