Unverifiable: A substantial number of Indian H-1B visa holders are presumed to have lost their jobs

By: Priyam Nayak
May 13 2020

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Owing to lack of any official announcements or statistics it cannot be verified whether Indians on H-1B visas have lost their jobsThe H-1B visa is a temporary visa programme which allows people with specialised skills to work in the US. As of January 2020, 74.5% of the H-1B petitions were filed by Indians. H-1B workers can only stay in the country for 60 days in case they are laid off unless they find a new employer to sponsor them for an H-1B. Majority of the Indian H-1B workers are employed by the IT sector. At 14.7 percent, the unemployment rate in the US is at an all-time high and 20.5 million people lost their jobs in April. The high unemployment rate and the petition that was filed in the White House official website, seeking extension of the H-1B visa grace period from 60 to 180 days, could indicate many H-1B holders have either lost or fear losing their jobs. However, there is no data or any official statement about the number of Indian H-1B visa holders who have been laid off. Hence, the claim is unverifiable. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.