COVID-19: Donald Trump asked to suspend H-1B visa programme amid crisis

US Tech Workers, a n-profit organisation representing American techlogy workers, has urged President Donald Trump to suspend H-1B and H-2B visa programmes to protect interests of domestic workforce that may be impacted by coronavirus outbreak. According to reports, US body wrote to Donald Trump requesting him to suspend programmes for this year because of ecomic fallout country is expected to face due to COVID-19 crisis. 

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H-1B visa gives tens and thousands of Asian tech workers, mainly from India and China, opportunity to work in United States. As per reports, Indian tech workers, who are a worldwide phemen, are one of most benefited groups from programme. While H-1B visa is for highly skilled workers in field of techlogy, H-2B visa, on or hand, allows US businesses to hire farm workers from Latin American countries.

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Experts have predicted a global recession because of coronavirus lockdown, that will affect most countries, including United States. According to reports, by end of April, US Department of Labour will be looking at 50 to 60 million unemployed Americans. letter pointed out that last Thursday United States recorded its highest unemployment rate in history after claims reached approximately three million, crossing previous record of nearly 7,00,000 in October 1982. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

COVID-19 has claimed more than 43,200 lives across world and has infected more than 8,73,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was most affected country until last week before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record most number of deaths anywhere in world due to COVID-19. United States and France are on verge of overtaking China in terms of number of deaths recorded in se countries. virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, epicentre of disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

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(Im Credit: AP)