Hyderabad: US President Donald Trump's proposed plan to withdraw work permits for H-4 visa holders has created serious concerns among the Indian community, especially in the two Telugu states.
The Telangana NRI Parents Association has strongly condemned the move. Demanding that the policy, which will impact thousands of women in America, not be implemented, the association plans to write to Telangana government and higher officials expressing their concerns.
Majority of H-4 visa holders who will be impacted are spouses of H-1B visa holders, who were granted work permit under a special order issued by the previous Obama administration in 2015.
Speaking to News18, Dr RajKumar, president of the Telangana NRI Association said, “It will have a huge impact. So much money is spent on going to the US. The families are able to manage their livelihood only when both work, and there is double income. With the new policy, it will financially burden the families and force them to return. We request authorities not to implement such a decision.”
Krishnamacharya, Secretary of Telangana NRI parents Association, said, “Most of the women have advanced degrees, they are also well educated. They would not want to sit at home without work. A lot of marriages are already affected because of the Trump administration. People don’t want to go to America now. Even students are now trying in other countries.”
Sandeep Kumar Makthala, global president for Telangana Information Technology Association told News 18, "Its bad news for the IT industry as a whole. Not just financially, the decision will also impact marital life of techies working in US. The decision seems like it is collapsing the freedom of women. With this, the women will get the designation of involuntary homemaker. Last year, Ivanka Trump came to Hyderabad and she spoke about women empowerment. We want the government to think about women and how it will impact them."
Meanwhile, top Indian-American Democratic lawmakers have also vehemently opposed the Trump administration's plan to scrap the Obama-era rule.
The plan to end the Obama-era rule could have an impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visas holders, who have work permits.
"I will say that the H-4 visas go to women who are just as qualified, sometimes more qualified, than their spouses but haven't been able to work," Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said at an event at the US Capitol organised by the US India Friendship Council.
"I oppose the move to terminate work permits to H-4 visas," Jayapal, the first Indian-American woman elected to the House of Representatives told PTI. This is a gender issue as well, she emphasised, referring to the fact that a significantly large number of beneficiaries H-4 work permits are women.
Indian-Americans were a major beneficiary of the H-4 provision. More than 100,000 H-4 visa holders have been beneficiary of this rule.
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