My Take | How Asian workers can play their tech cards right amid US visa uncertainty
Asian nations including India must take steps to empower workforces to take advantage of talent shortages in US firms
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 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.
