TCS: Fate of pending bills to clear cloud on Hi-B visa norms

The US authorities had said the Trump administration was not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visaholders to leave the country.

Mumbai: The largest software exporter TCS has welcomed the clarity on H-1B visaholders, but said pending bills in the US legislature continue to be an "immediate concern" to grapple with.

The company for which the US is the largest market, said there is a difference between the way it is reported and what is the reality on the ground.

"Immediate concern of H-1B is that there are a few more bills that are being talked about, but none of that has played out as of now," TCS human resources head Ajoy Mukherjee told reporters.

The company will continue with its policy of planning in advance and continue with its steps like stepping up local hiring across, he added.

There is a lot of planning, starting with application for the visas, that goes in during operations and it will have to be followed, he said.

On the recent relief for techies, wherein the US stated no change in H-1B visa extension policy, Mukherjee welcomed the move for the clarity it brings in.

The US authorities on Tuesday had said the Trump administration was not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visaholders to leave the country.

The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of some 7,50,000 Indians.

The reports had also said the US was planning ending extensions for H-1B holders.

The Trump administration "is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visaholders to leave the US by changing interpretation of Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that the USCIS may grant the extensions," an official said.

This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the six-year cap that is previling now.

"Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these H-1B visaholders having to leave the US because employers could request extensions in one-year increments under section 106(a)-(b) of AC21 instead," Jonathan Withington, chief of media relations at the USCIS, said in the statement.