Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh on impact of Trump on H-1B visas

Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh on Wednesday expressed confidence that the H-1B visa policy will not see any changes under the new Donald Trump administration and the fears over an immigration overhaul were just a pre-election rhetoric.

Speaking at ANI at the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Nara Lokesh cautioned that we have to remain in a "wait and watch" mode to see if there is potential shift in US immigration police.

“I think there's a clear thing that the H-1B policy will not be changed, though pre-election has some rhetoric. But post-election, I think things have changed. There's a bit more calmness on that. We have to wait and watch,” he said.

The H-1B visa is very popular among Indian techies since it allows US companies to hire skilled foreign workers in specialized fields like technology, engineering, finance and Artificial Intelligence.

Since returning to office on January 20, Trump has signed a slew of executive orders undoing most of the decisions taken by his predecessor Joe Biden

This sparked some uneasiness among Indian professionals over the future of the H-1B programme and whether it will get more stringent under Trump.

So far, the US President has expressed a balanced view on the H-1B visa programme, saying he wants skilled workers coming into the country.

At the summit, Lokesh also expressed confidence over Andhra Pradesh’s commitment to fostering IT growth.

“As a state, we are presenting amazing opportunities back home. Many global capability centers (GCCs) are planning to announce investments in our IT capital, Visakhapatnam. Over the next two years, we aim to position Andhra Pradesh as a leading IT destination,” he said.

Lokesh also expressed optimism about India’s broader economic future, asserting, "I truly believe India can achieve double-digit growth if all states contribute effectively. This is essential to fulfill the Honorable Prime Minister's vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047."