India, Oct. 1 -- In a move that could impact Indian professionals, Democrats and Republicans in the US Senate have introduced a Bill to further restrict access to the H-1B and L1 visa programmes for foreign workers.

The legislation proposes new wage and recruitment guidelines for employers, prioritising H-1B visas for workers with STEM degrees as well as increased penalties for wage violations. The bill - proposed by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin - aims to "target visa fraud and abuse" and provide "protections for American workers". However, it is unclear if the bill will become law given that most immigration reform legislation introduced in US Congress has failed over the last decade.

"Major comp...