Washington, The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies has welcomed tighter scrutiny of H-1B visa applications, but cautioned that it should not come at the cost of American innovation, as jobs requiring highly specialised skills cannot always be filled immediately from the available domestic labour pool.
The statement from FIIDS, an advocacy group, came hours after US President Donald Trump tightened oversight of the H-1B visa programme, contending that it had been widely misused by certain employers, including IT outsourcing firms.
He said the ability of the US to attract exceptional talent has made it the world’s leading innovation economy. Ajay Bhutoria, former advisor to President Joe Biden, said federal oversight must remain focused on bad corporate actors rather than penalising law-abiding, highly-skilled legal immigrants who play by the rules, pay taxes, and contribute significantly to American innovation. Protecting system integrity isn’t about blaming immigrants; it’s about stopping corporate greed and ensuring fair play for Americans and the legal workforce alike,” Bhutoria said.
FIIDS appreciates and understands the Administration’s intent to protect America’s national and economic interests, safeguard American workers, and address abuse of the H-1B programme. Bhutoria emphasised that while safeguards against unfair worker displacement are essential, government policy must maintain a predictable, transparent framework for compliant employers and legal visa holders. “Real reform means holding big corporations and body shops accountable when they abuse visa programmes to undercut local wages or displace workers.
Those are legitimate objectives, Khanderao Kand, Chief of Policy and Strategy at FIIDS, said in a statement on Friday.
Kand said the US will be the strongest when it protects workers from exploitation and discrimination, rewards employers that comply with the law, invests seriously in American talent, and remains capable of attracting the people whose ideas, enterprises, and expertise create the next generation of American jobs. The White House said the measure aims to improve programme integrity and prevent employers from using the H-1B programme to undercut or displace US workers.
