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How Asian workers can play their tech cards right amid US visa uncertainty

How Asian workers can play their tech cards right amid US visa uncertainty

Published: 10:30am, 31 Jan 2025
The new US administration under President Donald Trump with a focus on Make America Great Again has triggered uncertainty among Indian tech workers who reportedly are not travelling out of the country in case a change in visa rules blocks their re-entry.
Despite the paranoia over immigration, discussions with tech entrepreneurs have shown that US-based tech companies are as hungry for tech talent as before because of a shrinking domestic pipeline, especially for specialised roles such as data scientists.
Asian-origin workers, both within the United States and from overseas, still figure prominently in these roles in the Silicon Valley, according to industry executives.
The trend begs the question: can the uncertainty over visa rules actually turn out to be a silver lining for Asian professionals? Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has pledged a US$3 billion investment in India's cloud and AI infrastructure. Photo: Reuters
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced earlier this month a US$3 billion investment in India's cloud and AI infrastructure, while pledging to train 10 million people with AI skills by 2030.

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