The US visa laws that are tightened day by day creates a shiver for the Indians who are planning to make their settlement abroad.Lakhs of Indian computer programmers who have applied for H-1B visas will fail to get the desired visa due to the implementation of new guidelines of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).A new policy memorandum issued by the USCIS on 31 March added these new guidelines regarding 'Specialty Occupation'.The USCIS has implemented a rule that an entry level computer programmer would no longer be qualified as a specialist professional, and hence would be considered ineligible for H-1B visa.
"The fact that a person may be employed as a computer programmer and may use information technology skills and knowledge to help an enterprise achieve its goals in the course of his or her job is not sufficient to establish the position as a specialty occupation," as mentioned in the USCIS Policy Memorandum .
This policy on H1B computer related positions,' sent shock vibrations across the Indian IT companies as their application was based on the December 2000 guidelines on what constitutes a specialty occupation.According to the USCIS, a basic level computer programer shall no longer be elgible for H1B visa and he cannot enter the US in the special resource category.
