H1-B crisis sparks legal scramble for new HR solutions

Law firms and corporations are scrambling to tackle the human resources impact of the vexed H-1B matter, after US President Donald Trump’s latest immigration crackdown threw India’s $283 billion IT sector into turmoil. The new rule, which mandates that employers pay a staggering $100,000 fee for each first-time H-1B visa applicant, threatens to cost the country’s top IT services companies billions of dollars and has left thousands of employees in limbo. The new regulations aren’t just a corporate headache; they’re a personal blow to thousands of workers. Gerald Manoharan, a partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, says employees with offers from US firms who are “on the tarmac waiting for their H-1B visas” are now being presented with two unappealing choices: accept a lower salary or take on a flexible work-from-India role. Read more