The Future For Indian Tech Workers In The USA

The Indian-American community has roots in many different backgrounds, but Indians coming to work in software and tech is definitely one of the most well-known. Indian workers make up 70% of those granted H-1B visas in the USA, according to The Economic Times of India, and those workers have been both the root of the Indian diaspora in the USA and new additions to the community. As the Economic Times outlines, restrictions in H-1B visas under the previous administration hurt the Indian community, as did the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. Bearing that in mind, what is the future of Indian software workers in the US?

Opportunities abound

There are huge opportunities in the US software sector. As the economy and the various systems feeding into daily life in the USA become more and more digitized, a greater emphasis is put upon those with the skills to design and implement systems relevant to this goal. Businesses are attracting developers due to the drive from business to take up new software packages and develop SaaS systems, which are the foundation of modern digitized systems; in turn, this provides a good career with plenty of skills development. What’s more, there’s a serious shortage of people with the correct skills in the USA. Tech Republic found that 23% of businesses are lacking IT workers with skills in this field, which concerns wide-scale IT architectural design. This need is not being met from overseas, and that situation is unlikely to change.

H-1B restrictions

While the courts may have overturned unfair and illegal rules put in place by the previous administration, Forbes notes that the cap on H-1B visas remains low, and that the rules may yet tighten up. This will result in a lower uptake of foreign workers, including â€“ and likely disproportionately â€“ Indians, given the skills often found in Indian workers. This will harm the Indian diaspora in the USA: it means fewer workers will find their way into the high-skilled jobs in the USA. However, with US big business shifting where it takes its workers from, new opportunities could open up at home in the USA.

Cutting jobs

According to British tech newspaper The Register, three million jobs cuts are coming at Indian-based service giants over the next year as American businesses move towards automation. Due to the nature of these cuts and their indiscriminate nature, there may well be gaps opened up in the big banks that will fall as opportunities in the USA. This is sad news for workers in India, but new opportunities are always a good thing – especially if communities in the USA can get their hands on them.

One way or another, there are ways for Indian and Indian-American workers to get to work on US tech projects. The skills that Indian workers bring to the table have always been top grade, and they will continue to have a huge impact on tech work across the country.

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