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🇮🇳 India /Culture & Society

‘Desi consultancies': The dark side of H-1B visa and the American dream, how it impacts Indians

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The H-1B visa program, designed for high-skilled workers, is criticized for potential abuse by "desi consultancies."
  • These firms allegedly exploit Indian tech workers, trapping them in exploitative arrangements and undermining American jobs.
  • A new book highlights the "dark side" of these consultancies, detailing wage theft, psychological devastation, and deportation threats faced by workers.

The H-1B visa program, long considered a cornerstone of America's high-skilled immigration system, faces scrutiny over alleged abuses, particularly through a network of "desi consultancies." These firms, often referred to as H-1B "body shops," connect Indian tech professionals with U.S. employers, but critics argue the system can exploit foreign workers and disadvantage American laborers.

Desi consultancies often lie to tech workers in India that they have a job in the US. It is only when the workers arrive in the US that they find out they have been lied to, and were essentially trafficked from India to the US.

— Tanul ThakurAuthor Tanul Thakur explains the deceptive practices employed by 'desi consultancies' to lure Indian tech workers to the United States.

A new book, "Wild Wild East: Exiled Americans, Enslaved Indians and the Systemic Abuse of the H-1B Visa Programme," by Tanul Thakur, delves into the "dark side" of these consultancies. Thakur, an award-winning journalist, describes how these firms sometimes mislead tech workers in India about job prospects in the U.S. Upon arrival, workers may discover they have been deceived, effectively trafficked from India. Thakur characterizes this world as "really dark," citing "rampant wage theft and psychological devastation."

Workers often face delayed payments, threats of deportation, and legal intimidation, making them hesitant to protest poor working conditions due to their reliance on visa sponsors. This creates a situation where employees may misrepresent their experience to employers while struggling to complete tasks, sometimes relying on remote assistance from others. The exploitation, though an open secret, persists due to the influence of "corporate America" and perceived laxity from the Department of Labor in enforcement.

Pay is often delayed. There are deportation threats and legal intimidation. Given that you are so beholden to your visa sponsor or employer…you often do not protest these working conditions. You start to live a double life.

— Tanul ThakurThakur describes the severe exploitation and psychological toll faced by workers under these consultancies.

Thakur suggests that even when such firms are debarred from the H-1B program, they can re-emerge under new names, continuing the cycle of exploitation. The book and related discussions highlight concerns that such systemic abuse may hinder the U.S.'s ability to attract and retain top global talent, potentially impacting innovation and economic growth.

Corporate America benefits, and it wields a disproportionate amount of clout in keeping the H-1B program the way it is. This is closely followed by the laxity of the Department of Labor in detecting and penalising the bad apples.

— Tanul ThakurThakur points to corporate interests and regulatory shortcomings as factors enabling the continuation of exploitative practices within the H-1B program.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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