The government has reportedly informed Parliament that it has taken note of the introduction of a bill related to H-1B and L-1 visa in the US Senate last September. The government said that as per the available information, the Bill remains at the ‘introduced’ stage with no hearings, markup, or further legislative progress. The Ministry of External Affairs was asked whether it has come to the government’s notice that a bill has been introduced in the US Congress to change H-1B and L-1 visas for foreign workers, and what impact it will have on Indian techies.The MEA was also asked to what extent the proposed bill, if it becomes a law, would impact Indian professionals in the US, on work visa. Another related question to MEA asked the details of the ‘Firewall’ project launched by the US government. The minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh answered these questions in a written response in Lok Sabha.
What MEA said in written response on H-1B visa
As per the information on the ministry of external affairs website, here’s the full response of the minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh: The Government has taken note of the introduction of a Bill titled “H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2025” (S. 2928) in the United States Senate on 29 September 2025. The Bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. As per the latest available information (as of 21 March 2026), it remains at the “Introduced” stage with no hearings, markup, or further legislative progress.The Bill seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to reform the H-1B (specialty occupation) and L-1 (intra-company transferee) visa programmes with the stated objectives of curbing fraud, abuse, outsourcing, and displacement of American workers. Key proposals include higher wage thresholds, mandatory recruitment of U.S. workers, a 50% cap on H-1B/L-1 workers in companies with more than 50 employees, stricter definitions of “specialty occupation” and “specialized knowledge”, shorter maximum stay periods for H-1B, and enhanced enforcement powers.The proposed changes, if enacted into law, could (a) raise hiring costs and make it harder for U.S. employers to sponsor or renew visas for less experienced or mid-level tech workers; (b) shift some of the work back to India or to other countries, and (c) make it difficult to obtain permanent residency because it limits the maximum time one could hold a H-1B visa.“Project Firewall” is an enforcement initiative launched by the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division on 19 September 2025. Key features include audits and investigations in cases of suspected displacement of US workers, inadequate recruitment, wage violations, or misrepresentation and enhanced penalties, including back wages, civil fines, and debarment from the H-1B programme. The initiative is aimed at strengthening compliance with the existing H-1B visa programme rules to protect wages and job opportunities of highly skilled American workers. As of March 2026, the initiative remains active with a large number of ongoing investigations. It enforces existing regulations rather than introducing new statutory changes.Government of India continues to engage with the US side at various levels on all aspects of skilled worker mobility to safeguard the interests of Indian professionals while respecting the immigration policies of the United States.”
