H-1B angst is a tempest in a teapot

The H-1B visa issue now consuming a considerable amount of newsprint in India is a storm in a teacup. During the nearly 15 years that I was a foreign correspondent in the US, my desk was periodically buffeted by demands related to the H-1B issue. Most of the demands from special interests who regularly network with the Washington media were that I go on a patriotic crusade against those who want to eliminate H-1B visas or significantly reduce the number of Indians who take that route to America. In the early years of my posting, I used to do painstaking legwork on the subject, assuming that it was an issue that could indeed curtail Indian immigration to the US. Supply and demand in the labour market ultimately determine what happens in the US Congress with H-1B legislation, and the inflow and outflow—yes, there is outflow of immigrants from the US, too—of H-1B personnel.