TCS’ H-1B Visa Applications Now A Third Of 2015 Levels 

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) applied for only a third of the H-1B work visas this year compared to 2015, helped by increased hiring from engineering campuses and B-schools in the U.S.

The move comes at a time when the Indian IT companies are confronted by closer scrutiny and tighter visa norms in the U.S., a market that accounts for nearly 60 percent of India's IT exports.

Mukherjee added that TCS is hiring from over a hundred engineering campuses and MBA graduates from top B-schools in the U.S.

“All this is helping us bring down our dependence on work visas. In 2016 and again this year, we have applied for only a third of the visas we had applied for in 2015,” Mukherjee said.

Also Read: U.S. Accuses TCS, Infosys Of Violating H-1B Visa Norms

With rising protectionism across markets like Singapore and Australia, companies are beginning to adjust their business models to reduce their dependence on visas, hiring more locals instead.

The ramp up in local hiring is also aimed at placating the Donald Trump administration in the U.S. that has been critical of outsourcing firms.

The U.S. had accused TCS, as well as peers Infosys and Cognizant of unfairly cornering the lion's share of U.S. H-1B work visas, taking jobs away from American workers.

The tightening of visa norms not only pushes up operational costs for these tech firms, but also makes movement of skilled workforce difficult.

Infosys has already announced that it would hire 10,000 Americans over the next two years and set up four innovation hubs in the U.S.

The H-1B visa programme is most sought-after by Indian IT firms and professionals to work on customer sites. Every year, the U.S. grants 65,000 H-1B visas, while another 20,000 are set aside for those with advanced U.S. degrees.

Also Read: New U.S. Visa Rules Can't Take Away TCS' Competitive Edge, Says CEO