Chennai techies 'trumped' by the H-1B visa reforms

Techies in Chennai are a worried bunch, thanks to Trump’s announcement on H-1B visa. Canada seems like the next-best option but experts warn that opportunities are much lesser there.

A year ago, there would always be a long line of people outside the US Consulate, Chennai. | Express File Photo

CHENNAI: There is an air of uncertainty in many IT firms these days. Everyone from freshers to managers has been on the edge since the Trump administration followed up on its election promise to ban the H1B visa, which authorises companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in fields like science, engineering and information technology. It is widely used to outsource personnel from companies like TCS, Infosys, and Cognizant.

While some techies have gone to the extent of switching jobs after the announcement, others are waiting anxiously by putting all their plans on hold for the moment.

“I had the perfect plan in place… Trump ruined it,” rues 24-year-old Archit Raj.

“Getting a chance to work in the US was the primary reason I chose to work with Wipro. The moment Trump revoked the H-1B visa, I quit my job.” Raj now works with IFMR. He is happy with the job, earns well and most importantly, is not given ‘false promises’.

This American dream is a huge draw for many entering the industry.

“Most of us in this industry aspire to work in the US,” says 34-year-old Sundar Rama at Inautix, who worked in the US in 2015.

“This is a huge blow for all of us. I tried to make the switch when I was working there in 2015 but it did not come through. I was thinking of trying this year but now there is no chance.”

This disappointment is apparent among other techies as well. Raj Kumar, a 33-year-old techie at Enoah Isolutions, was planning to move to the US along with his family in 2017.

“I have an H1 visa and have been planning to shift for the last three years,” he explains. “I am now rethinking the idea not only because of the Trump administration but also because my wife, who is also an IT professional, will not be able to work on a dependent visa.”

The visa ban is set to affect not only professionals but the employers that want to hire them.“The industry will definitely be affected,” said K Balakumaran at Altimetrik.

“So far, getting talent into the industry was not a problem as many students took to IT in the hope of being able to work in the US some day. Now, the hiring process will be difficult.”

Senior employees feel that freshers will be the biggest losers.

“Since I have worked abroad before, this does not bother me,” said 37-year-old Jebaraj John at Inautix Tech. “But for the younger employes, working in the US is a major goal. Earlier, many would jump from other organisations to Infosys, TCS and CTS just for the opportunity to get a H-1B visa.”

Some techies are just waiting for the storm to pass.

“Trump fiddling with the immigration policies will not permanently deter the growth of the IT sector,” says Samay Soni, a 24-year-old former Tech Mahindra employee.

“As an IT person, you can use your skills anywhere, because once you learn the software, you can apply it anywhere.”

Soni, like numerous others, had to put off plans to go to the US for further studies, because of the current political scenario. However, some people have dropped the US as an immigration option and are looking at other places.

“I am working towards going to Canada,” says 28-year-old Rajesh Kumar at Information Dynamics. “In the next three to four years, I should hopefully be there. I admire Justin Trudeau. He does so much for Tamil culture and people. I hope everything falls in place.”

Canada may be climbing up the ranks as the ideal place for immigration, but many in the industry warn that it is not the ideal place for IT professionals.

“Canada is a promising country to immigrate to,” says Balakumaran. “But the catch is that it does not provide many opportunities in the IT sector. The US is ‘the’ IT destination. There is no denying that.”