H-1B visas must end’: Wife of US citizen shares plight of landing IT jobs

[Vikramaditya1]

This visa issue only really helps a thin crust of the actual population, the wider issue coming from long term change is the trend of economic nationalism which closes doors for Indians in general, potentially, we still don't know how far this policy will go,

I would say the same for the segment of society that is experiencing real development in south Asia, a thin-ish slice

But other indices like human development are not experiencing the big shifts the rest of the world has seen...or needs.

The biggest concern is the ability to create non-linear growth, or the lack of it. South Asia is one region that doesn't offer the world anything that is somewhat unique and in demand, for example the east Asians have a technology base , the middle east nations have experienced tremendous oil wealth... What will drive major south Asian economic development ..... That is proportionate to the population and size


On that cheerful note.....

The only country driving growth in South Asia, and big ticket investment is India. The rest of South Asia" isn’t a growth region it’s a humanitarian and political risk region. A better comparison would be India and the rest of South East and East Asia. If I was an investor from the west or middle East, I would 65-35 invest in Indias favour and East Asia.

Take the Japanese example, India is the third most profitable investment destination for the Japanese after Taiwan and SoKo.
India is blessed with natural resources like water and fertile soil. If all economic activities in the world grinds to a halt India will survive simply because we can feed our own public from what we farm. And we have a largely young demography with median age of 28. I wouldn't be concerned about the state of the economy at all. Unless we fumble so badly.

 

[kambhakt]

Bolded part: The chain immigration doesn't ends. That's the essence of it. Sigh!
But, please, do us Americans, the Canadians and the Westerners a favor and don't send millions more Indians to those countries? I doubt you have any control over that though. Indians are desperately fleeing India even taking the dangerous route to America from Mexico.

By chain immigration, I am assuming you mean immediate family. H1B are professionals. This is not the taxi/truck driver or cook/waiter in restaurant category. They do not pull multiple immigrants. H1B is limited to 65K. Out of that India gets maybe 45K. Cannot send millions. Millions come from other routes. The current H1B we are discussing does not target those.

 

[r3alist]

The only country driving growth in South Asia, and big ticket investment is India. The rest of South Asia" isn’t a growth region it’s a humanitarian and political risk region. A better comparison would be India and the rest of South East and East Asia. If I was an investor from the west or middle East, I would 65-35 invest in Indias favour and East Asia.

Take the Japanese example, India is the third most profitable investment destination for the Japanese after Taiwan and SoKo.
India is blessed with natural resources like water and fertile soil. If all economic activities in the world grinds to a halt India will survive simply because we can feed our own public from what we farm. And we have a largely young demography with median age of 28. I wouldn't be concerned about the state of the economy at all. Unless we fumble so badly.

You have as usual nicely reframed my point.

The services sector marks India out relative to any other south Asian country, that being said I was taking a far more birds eye view on what does India, or the region, of two billion people uniquely (important bit) contribute to the biggest drivers of growth in the world economy. And therefore what drivers of very large economic growth could south asia benefit from?


I am talking about technology, automobiles and electric vehicles, renewables, commodities etc

Because back to the original point, the comment was made that things were going in the right direction, my view is they are going in the right direction for potentially a constant or smaller proportion of the nation coming from sectors heavily reliant on potentially replaceable global linkages. Just my view.
Those GCC's which I don't know too much about, but already they sound like they are overselling a bit, likely the best outcome will be to create operational dependence for certain corporate functions, which don't get me wrong will be transformative for one slice of the population

 

[Meengla]

@Meengla back of envelope, what value ($) will you put to H1-B program if it were cut in half (timeframe say 10 years)

I don't know what you mean but I probably don't have a good answer. Also, as I said above, I am very 'selfishly' concerned with my own job prospects and not particularly worried about the larger debate though I am here because I think the H1b cuts, if implemented, would help my situation. And I can already tell more job listings are requiring US Based or US Citizen etc etc.

India is blessed with natural resources like water and fertile soil. If all economic activities in the world grinds to a halt India will survive simply because we can feed our own public from what we farm. And we have a largely young demography with median age of 28. I wouldn't be concerned about the state of the economy at all. Unless we fumble so badly.

That I can agree with. And same is the situation of Pakistan except water situation is not as good for Pakistan but not hopeless either.

 

[Vikramaditya1]

That I can agree with. And same is the situation of Pakistan except water situation is not as good for Pakistan but not hopeless either

You have enough water, but poor water management, ground water depletion (the solar expansion are going to make it worse) and crazy land ownership concentrating on a few people. If a dictator comes around put land ceiling on it, half of your problems will be over.

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@r3alist

And therefore what drivers of very large economic growth could south asia benefit from?

Domestic consumption. The domestic consumption per capita is abysmal compared to global standards. Invest in education and healthcare of citizenry so that they can pick up remunerative jobs, they will earn and spend which becomes the market for more industries. A virtuous cycle.

Regards

 

[r3alist]

@r3alist

And therefore what drivers of very large economic growth could south asia benefit from?

Domestic consumption. The domestic consumption per capita is abysmal compared to global standards. Invest in education and healthcare of citizenry so that they can pick up remunerative jobs, they will earn and spend which becomes the market for more industries. A virtuous cycle.

Regards

Sir you can do better than this

One of your media generals, Raj Shukla I think, he was doing a media event publicizing his new book, very recent it's on the web

His whole thrust was China got things strategically proper when they had civil and military fusion decades ago, whilst India took pride in having separation. It's not that he was effusive on China, he described it in sinister terms, but he gave the credit that it was ultimately much more effective and India needs to consider this route

India gets a shahbashh from the west for its slow-moving democracy and civil and military separation

China did not care, it assessed ground realities, it assessed future direction and encoded it's civilizational norms all across it's economy and society and ruthlessly executed...... With plenty of Central planning, and a generation essentially forced to sacrifice


We see the fruits of this today.


What you say above, would be tolerable if India had a population of less than 100 million, in a different region and a fraction of the size, it needs growth commensurate and proportionate to its size and expected place in the world.

 

[Meengla]

His whole thrust was China got things strategically proper when they had civil and military fusion decades ago, whilst India took pride in having separation. It's not that he was effusive on China, he described it in sinister terms, but he gave the credit that it was ultimately much more effective and India needs to consider this route
India gets a shahbashh from the west for its slow-moving democracy and civil and military separation
China did not care, it assessed ground realities, it assessed future direction and encoded it's civilizational norms all across it's economy and society and ruthlessly executed...... With plenty of Central planning, and a generation essentially forced to sacrifice

Great post!
Stability, focus, and continuity of policies with great efficiency and ruthlessness!! It will be offtopic to discuss that here but that's what the Chinese did and that's what delivered for them. Heck, I have seen even Indians on an Indian forum wishing they had a system like China's.

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@r3alist bro

I am not for a moment suggesting that IND/PAK/BD can catch up with PRC. But all these countries can be better countries than they are today- they can be the sort of countries where a large %age of citizenry (say 90%) can take roti, kapda, makaan, water, sanitation, basic education and healthcare as a given.

We must build our own nations based on what our citizens are capable of and comfortable with; rather tha mindlessly import models either from the West or from China.

Regards

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@r3alist @Meengla

Look at it this way. IND has a pci of around USD 2800, BD around 2500 (possibly much overstated), PAK around 1700 (possibly a bit undestated). IND and BD could easily be 2X the current levels, PAK 3X its current levels. We would still be less than half of PRC- and yet even that modest achievement would still mean that about 2 billion desis live a much better life than what they do now.

Regards

 

[r3alist]

Great post!
Stability, focus, and continuity of policies with great efficiency and ruthlessness!! It will be offtopic to discuss that here but that's what the Chinese did and that's what delivered for them. Heck, I have seen even Indians on an Indian forum wishing they had a system like China's.

The Chinese deal made with Nixon was a 30-year deal

Even right now the Chinese will only accept a long-term deal with trump, with much much more bargaining power

In that sense, the Indians are rightly worried about a G2 consensus where India is going to be on the menu, not the table

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@r3alist

What about Pakistan? Will it be on the table? Or on the menu?

Regards

 

[Meengla]

We must build our own nations based on what our citizens are capable of and comfortable with; rather tha mindlessly import models either from the West or from China.

Genius people stand on other's shoulders to be come 'genius'. Nations are not different from people and learn from other nations. China is India and Pakistan's neighbor and temperamentally kind of more similar, being all are Asians. The mindless embrace of the Jeffersonian Democracy in third world countries as if they are some panacea has hurt many of those countries. Many poor countries advanced due to either authoritarianism or 'elected' leaders acting authoritarian.

In that sense, the Indians are rightly worried about a G2 consensus where India is going to be on the menu, not the table

Yes, the 'Spheres of Influence' theory as it came out in May 2025 in a NY Times article.

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@Meengla sb

China is India and Pakistan's neighbor and temperamentally kind of more similar, being all are Asians.

Similar, but not too similar.

To quote @r3alist bro

and a generation essentially forced to sacrifice

Do you think a generation of Indians, Pakistanis and BDs would sacrifice for greater good of the nation. Bhai, we are the sort of people who will sell our grandmothers for a green card/H1B visa!

Regards

 

[r3alist]

@r3alist @Meengla

Look at it this way. IND has a pci of around USD 2800, BD around 2500 (possibly much overstated), PAK around 1700 (possibly a bit undestated). IND and BD could easily be 2X the current levels, PAK 3X its current levels. We would still be less than half of PRC- and yet even that modest achievement would still mean that about 2 billion desis live a much better life than what they do now.

Regards

Well, ok.

I was citing China, not as a benchmark for only economic metrics, often abstractly applied, but for a benchmark for a completely transformative social economic and geopolitical project, achieved for itself at the national level

It doesn't have to be in the same way, it can take a bit longer, but it has to be coherent and effective for your nation, be it Pakistan and India

The whole region is walking around punch drunk, India and it's people can commend themselves for the services and it sector, but that's not nationally transformative.

if you do not even think with a comprehensive transformative vision then you really need to downgrade your expectations of relative positioning to major power centers, they will do it by themselves anyway

All that said and done, the worrying aspect, actually worrying, is the whole region is fractured and at constant low-level warfare that only chips away at possibilities for internal growth, whilst your population is growing, borders are closing around the world, the offensive discourse permissible towards brown people is only loosening, and the climate is not going to get kinder