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Demand dips for pros with H1-B visas in US

Recent slowdown in the US economy and the announcement of retrenchments in some of the major American information technology companies have led to a decline in demand for professionals with H1-B visa, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh told Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Thursday.

Singh said that 72,000 H1-B visas had been granted till March 31, 2001 and 60,000 applications were currently under consideration and added that 40 per cent to 50 per cent of persons receiving H1-B visas were estimated to be Indian nationals.

He said the limit of H1-B visas for the fiscal year 1998 (October 1997 to September 1998) was 65,000 and it was exhausted by May 1998.

For fiscal year 1999 (October 1998 to September 1999), the limit was increased to 115,000 visas, which was used up by June 1999, he said, adding that for fiscal year 2000 (October 1999 to September 2000) the limited was same at 115,000 visas, but it was reached by Mar 21, 2000 itself.

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