Akhilesh Yadav criticises Centre’s foreign policy over H-1B visa fee hike

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday slammed the Union government over the hike in the H1-B visa fee.

Speaking to reporters at the party office in Lucknow, Yadav said, "Your foreign policy has failed in the foreign (countries). Economic policies have failed. You have failed in making relationships."

The former chief minister also attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging that he wanted guns in people's hands, not books.


"Try to remember, he (apparently referring to Adityanath) does not want anyone to go abroad, neither for studies nor for work, but only to operate guns. (People) can go to Russia, join the army (there). Go to Israel, and fight along with its army. Those with H-1B visas should not go for good jobs," he said.

The former UP chief minister said Indians will only get visa relief once the Narendra Modi-led central government is out of power.

US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that will raise the fee for H-1B visas to a staggering USD 100,000 annually.

The latest move in the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on immigration stands to impact thousands of Indian professionals.

White House staff secretary Will Scharf said the H-1B non-immigrant visa programme is one of the most abused visa systems in the country's current immigration system, and it is intended to allow highly skilled labourers, who work in fields where Americans are not employed, to enter the United States.

The Trump administration said that the USD 100,000 fee is aimed at ensuring that the people being brought into the country are actually very highly skilled and do not replace American workers.

The move, he said, is aimed at protecting American workers.