WASHINGTON, Apr 20: Making any change in the H-1B visa programme, popular with Indian technology professionals, would require legislative action by the US Congress, an immigration expert has said.
In an executive order signed on Tuesday, Trump had directed the departments of labour, state, homeland security and justice to review the current laws governing the programme to suggest changes to prioritise the most skilled and highest paid positions.
“However, any changes would require either Congressional action, changing statutory requirements, or regulations that would trigger President Trump’s prior executive order ordering agencies to rescind two regulations for every new regulation proposed,” said noted immigration expert Rebecca Bernhard, who is a partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney.
Moreover, the current law and regulations of the H-1B program require that beneficiaries of H-1B visas hold at least a specialised bachelors degree for the position offered and there are anti-fraud and training fees for employers to pay so that the government can maintain programs President Trump is calling for, she said.
Although President Trump’s call for additional measures to combat fraud in this new executive order could be implemented more quickly, she said documented instances of fraud in the H-1B and other temporary visa programs are quite low.
“Most employers that utilise the H-1B program do so legitimately because they need the skills and talent of a particular worker, and those who don’t can be rooted out by the current anti-fraud provisions,” Bernhard said.
Contrary to recent rhetoric, she said H-1B visas do not generally act as a mechanism to replace American workers.
“Instead, US businesses use the H-1B to gain access to the sought-after skills of foreign professionals, many of whom graduate from US universities, to complement the US workforce,” she added.
“In recent years, universities report that foreign students make up over 60 per cent of their STEM undergraduate and graduate degrees,” Bernhard said.
She pointed out that the unemployment rate for occupations that use H-1B visas is very low as compared to the national unemployment rate.
“It is also a myth that US businesses seek H-1B workers in order to save money; the fees and costs associated with filing a successful petition are high enough that most employers use the H-1B because they cannot locate a qualified US worker to fill the position,” Bernhard said.
Marina Whitman, professor at Michigan University, said where there is a genuine shortage of Americans to do the work, hiring foreign workers on H-1B visas add to overall efficiency in the US.
“But when they are used, as they sometimes are, to bring in foreign workers to replace American workers, who sometimes are forced to train their replacements who will receive lower wages, that is unfair,” she said.
“Raising the wage floor at which H-1B visas are permitted, as Trump has proposed, is probably a good idea, if such visas are for truly ‘highly-skilled’ people,” Whitman said.
Ann Lin, an associate professor at the Michigan University said, “One of the problems with the H-1B visa is that it was understood to be for short-term immediate disruptions in the market where suddenly we need labour.”
“We’re going to bring people in, but the job is going to be temporary and so they’ll be able to leave again. But we’re not using it like that,” Lin said. (AGENCIES)
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UK-STAMPS-GANDHI
Gandhi stamps sold at 500,000 pounds at auction in UK
LONDON, Apr 20:
A set of four rare stamps featuring the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi has been sold for record 500,000 pounds at an auction in the UK which its seller said is the highest price ever paid for Indian stamps.
Only 13 of the 1948 Gandhi 10-rupee Purple Brown and Lake ‘Service’ stamps are in circulation. The block of four was sold to a private Australian collector for the highest ever price for Indian stamps, said UK-based dealer Stanley Gibbons.
The Indian stamps were particularly rare owing to the fact they were in a set of four.
From the issued sheet, supplied to the Governor-General’s Secretariat, only thirteen single examples are authoritatively recorded, including this strip of four and a block of four in the Royal Philatelic Collection, owned by Queen Elizabeth II, which is believed to be the world’s largest and most valuable private stamp collection, Gibbons said in a statement.
“The recent sale follows that of another Indian philatelic rarity, the famous ‘Four Annas’, which sold in March this year for almost 110,000 pounds,” the statement said.
However, the record price for a stamp sold an auction is USD 9.5 million (7.4 million pounds).
“The market for high-quality Indian rarities has been strong for several years and is supported by the ongoing desire of the wealthy Indian diaspora and savvy international clients to own these historic assets,” Keith Heddle, managing director of investments at Stanley Gibbons, was quoted as saying by BBC. (AGENCIES)
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MH-KAPOOR
Rishi Kapoor on BMC radar for axing ‘extra’ branches of tree
MUMBAI, Apr 20:
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a show cause notice to Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor for cutting more branches than allowed of a banyan tree inside his Krishna Raj bungalow at Pali Hill in suburban Bandra here.
A BMC official said Kapoor had last week received the civic body’s permission to trim six branches of the tree after the actor pointed out that they would obstruct the planned construction at the plot.
However, subsequent inspection revealed that the tree has been reduced to its trunk, the official said. The branches were not trimmed but chopped off, he added.
The notice was served on the industry veteran yesterday. He has been given 24 hours to explain why action should not be initiated against him.
BMC will file a police complaint, for registering a case under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, and Section 155 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the official said.
Reacting to the notice, the 64-year-old actor said he will speak to the contractor who is handling construction on the plot.
“The tree hasn’t been uprooted. I will check if the contractor has made a mistake.” (PTI)
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CINEMA-MOHIT
Adapting ‘Half Girlfriend’ for big screen was difficult: Mohit
MUMBAI, Apr 20:
Mohit Suri is back with yet another love story “Half Girlfriend”, which is an adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s novel of the same name and the director says it was difficult to translate the book into a two-hour format for the celluloid.
“It is difficult as you can’t base the entire book in a two-hour film. There is a lot that you need to edit and make sure all the essential points are not lost out. We have changed certain things and Chetan Bhagat has been quite co-operative,” Mohit said.
“I have never made a film that had a story that people already knew. There is definitely pressure to living up to it (response the book got). But I have tried not to let this factor (pressure) affect me and have tried my best to stay honest to the story.”
It is the story of a rural Bhojpuri-laced Hindi-speaking boy (Arjun Kapoor) from Bihar as he enrolls himself at an English-medium college and falls in love with a rich Delhi girl (Shraddha Kapoor) who wants to be his half girlfriend.
“‘Half Girlfriend’ is a story about about a guy who can’t speak English and despite Hindi being our national language the hypocrisy in India is that those who don’t speak English are looked down upon as people who speak English are forward.
“It’s an interesting concept. I wanted to show how two people come from different worlds and try to figure out whose world is a right,” the filmmaker says.
Mohit has worked with Shraddha earlier in “Aashiqui 2” and “Ek Villain” but this romantic drama marks his first outing with actor Arjun.
“We (referring to him and Shraddha) share a great relationship that has been successful on screen. This is my first film with Arjun and he is very endearing in the film.. it was interesting to work with him.”
There were reports that all was not well between Mohit and Arjun, while they were shooting for the film.
Brushing aside the rumours, Mohit says, it is unfair to put these allegations.
“It’s not true at all. It’s bad to report such things. I have never had an issue with him. I don’t know why people are saying we had an issue. There were reports that he used to come late on the sets, but he was there for his grandmother’s funeral, he wasn’t partying.
“He has been honest to the film and I would like to work with him again.”
Produced by Ekta Kapoor, “Half Girlfriend” will release on May 19. (AGENCIES)
*****
CINEMA-MOHIT
Adapting ‘Half Girlfriend’ for big screen was difficult: Mohit
MUMBAI, Apr 20:
Mohit Suri is back with yet another love story “Half Girlfriend”, which is an adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s novel of the same name and the director says it was difficult to translate the book into a two-hour format for the celluloid.
“It is difficult as you can’t base the entire book in a two-hour film. There is a lot that you need to edit and make sure all the essential points are not lost out. We have changed certain things and Chetan Bhagat has been quite co-operative,” Mohit said.
“I have never made a film that had a story that people already knew. There is definitely pressure to living up to it (response the book got). But I have tried not to let this factor (pressure) affect me and have tried my best to stay honest to the story.”
It is the story of a rural Bhojpuri-laced Hindi-speaking boy (Arjun Kapoor) from Bihar as he enrolls himself at an English-medium college and falls in love with a rich Delhi girl (Shraddha Kapoor) who wants to be his half girlfriend.
“‘Half Girlfriend’ is a story about about a guy who can’t speak English and despite Hindi being our national language the hypocrisy in India is that those who don’t speak English are looked down upon as people who speak English are forward.
“It’s an interesting concept. I wanted to show how two people come from different worlds and try to figure out whose world is a right,” the filmmaker says.
Mohit has worked with Shraddha earlier in “Aashiqui 2” and “Ek Villain” but this romantic drama marks his first outing with actor Arjun.
“We (referring to him and Shraddha) share a great relationship that has been successful on screen. This is my first film with Arjun and he is very endearing in the film.. it was interesting to work with him.”
There were reports that all was not well between Mohit and Arjun, while they were shooting for the film.
Brushing aside the rumours, Mohit says, it is unfair to put these allegations.
“It’s not true at all. It’s bad to report such things. I have never had an issue with him. I don’t know why people are saying we had an issue. There were reports that he used to come late on the sets, but he was there for his grandmother’s funeral, he wasn’t partying.
“He has been honest to the film and I would like to work with him again.”
Produced by Ekta Kapoor, “Half Girlfriend” will release on May 19. (AGENCIES)
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