Special visa categories are needed, especially to aid global migrant and Indians working in the US and Gulf regions, heading to work in foreign countries during the post Covid-19 times.

"My wish is that there would be special visa categories carved out for specific classes of service providers, like healthcare workers, people in the information technology sector - all of the people who need to head into countries and help out with specific temporary projects and their implementation at short notice,” LawQuest Managing Partner Poorvi Chothani said in a webinar.

“Maybe in a de-globalised world our dependence on professionals who need visas to complete projects in other countries will decrease,” she added.

Between 2016 and 2017, 67 per cent of international graduate students in computer science at U.S. universities were from India. But this number is declining because the path to getting work experience, a job or permanent residence is getting more and more difficult.

There is data to show that number of Indians who became permanent residents in Canada increased from 39,340 in 2016 to 85,585 in 2019, a rise of more than 117 per cent, according to a National Foundation for American Policy analysis of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship data pertaining to Canada.

Though Canada like many other countries currently has a ban on most foreign travelers it has carved out certain accommodations for international students.

The webinar - 'The Global War for Talent In A Brave New World' – was conducted by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC).

Former United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary General and current Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram) Shashi Tharoor, talent strategist and leadership coach Gyan Nagpal were among the panelists. TV personality Cyrus Broacha moderated the webinar.

Despite an uncertainty of schedules and fear of travelling, domestic flights operate with nearly 50 per cent occupancy, much higher than the expected 25 per cent.

"Right now, doubt, uncertainty and fear are stopping people from travelling. Still, we see more domestic flights with 50 per cent occupancy, when we had expected only 25 per cent," Bhaskar Bhat, Chairman of Tata SIA Airlines-Vistara said in a webinar.

Now airlines have come together to provide safety, lesser contact and better health standards, he added.

"Covid-19 will inaugurate an era of deglobalisation. Lots of countries are turning isolationist and protectionist. Covid-19 has convinced many countries that foreigners are to be feared. That strict border and immigration controls are essential,” Tharoor said in his keynote address.

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