India has raised the concerns of its information technology (IT) industry with the new US administration over the recent crackdown on H1B professional visas, even as a Bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives recommending a hike in the minimum salary of H1B holders.

“India’s interests and concerns have been conveyed both to the US Administration and the US Congress at senior levels,” said Vikas Swarup, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The Bill – High Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017 — introduced by California Congresswoman and Democrat Zoe Lofgren, has suggested, doubling minimum wages for H1B workers to $130,000.

India had been raising these concerns as part of the ongoing dialogue with the Donald Trump administration as well as with the US Congress. The issue was also raised during the US President’s phone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources told BusinessLine . “This is just a Bill. This is not an executive order signed by Trump. I do not know why the IT industry is getting so jittery,” said a top official, who refused to be named. On Tuesday, IT stocks crashed after news of the Bill being introduced poured in.

This Bill has given a jolt to the Indian IT industry, which will now be forced to hire only local American workers. At present, the minimum wage paid to an H1B holder is $60,000.

According to Shivendra Singh, Vice President – Global Trade Development, Nasscom: “We support the ‘Hire American’ policy of Trump, but there is a supply problem. The Bill does not address the root cause of skill shortage in the US.”

Singh said Nassom would continue to highlight the fact that Indian companies support job growth in US as well as technological innovations introduced by the Indian IT industry based in America.

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