Tag: electronic

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-Top News USA

H-1B Visa Application Process Goes Fully Electronic

Under the beneficiary-centric process, registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration…reports Asian Lite News

The initial registration for the H-1B visa application for fiscal year 2025 will open from March 6 and run through March 22, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Tuesday.

The announcement came as part of a final rule to strengthen the integrity of and reduce the potential for fraud in the registration process of the non-immigrant visa that allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.

Some of the steps taken by the federal agency include reducing the potential for gaming the registration system and ensuring each beneficiary would have the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf.

“The initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 6, 2024, and run through noon Eastern on March 22, 2024,” USCIS said in a news release.

“During this period, prospective petitioners and their representatives, if applicable, must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary,” it added.

The agency’s final rule contains provisions that will create a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations by employers, codify start date flexibility for certain petitions subject to the congressionally mandated H-1B cap, and add more integrity measures related to the registration process.

“We’re always looking for ways to bolster integrity and curtail the potential for fraud while improving and streamlining our application processes,” said USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou.

“The improvements in these areas should make H-1B selections more equitable for petitioners and beneficiaries and will allow for the H-1B process to be fully electronic from registration, if applicable, until final decision and transmission of approved petitions to the Department of State.”

Under the beneficiary-centric process, registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration.

This new process is designed to reduce the potential for fraud and ensure each beneficiary would have the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf by an employer.

Starting with the fiscal year 2025 initial registration period, USCIS will require registrants to provide valid passport information or valid travel document information for each beneficiary.

The passport or travel document provided must be the one the beneficiary, if or when abroad, intends to use to enter the US if issued an H-1B visa.

Each beneficiary must only be registered under one passport or travel document, the USCIS said.

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Business India News

India sets $300 bn goal in electronic exports

This fresh outlook is aimed at transforming India’s manufacturing prowess by focusing on competitiveness, scale and exports….reports Asian Lite News

Indian can reach $300 billion worth of electronics manufacturing and exports by 2025-26 — nearly four times from the current $67 billion — if specific product segments with high potential for scale are shortlisted and catered to by way of incentives and policy measures, a new IT Ministry report showed on Monday.

The Vision Document 2.0, prepared by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and presented by the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), emphasised that such products segments cover mobile phones, Information Technology hardware (IT hardware), consumer electronics, wearables and hearables, LED lighting, electronic components in electric vehicles (EVs) etc.

“To witness India’s top ranking globally in the electronics industry, we need tactical and strategic steps for each product line and supportive directions to our domestic players/Indian champions to meet our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision,” ICEA Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said.

The electronics manufacturing industry had grown from $37.1 billion in 2015-16 to $67.3 billion in 2020-21. However, Covid-19 related disruptions impacted the growth trajectory in 2020-21 and led to a decline in the manufacturing output to $67.3 billion.

According to the document, there has been a complete shift in strategy which goes beyond the vision of import substitution to “Make in India for the World”.

This fresh outlook is aimed at transforming India’s manufacturing prowess by focusing on competitiveness, scale and exports.

Furthermore, continuing on the path of import substitution, India’s domestic electronics market is estimated to reach at best $150-180 billion from the current $65 billion over the next 4-5 years.

“Thus, exports of $120-140 billion are critical to reach the $300 billion mark for electronics manufacturing. This, in turn, is key for the $5 trillion economy, $1 trillion digital economy, and the $1 trillion export target envisaged by MeitY and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, respectively,” the Vision Document 2.0 read.

The increasing labour costs in China, the geo-political trade and security environment, and the Covid-19 outbreak are compelling many global electronics majors to look at alternative manufacturing destinations and diversifying their supply chains.

“India is one of the leading contenders for alternate solutions for global electronics companies. The electronics sector has the potential to become one of the top exports of India in the next 3-5 years. Electronics exports may account for significant contributions to the Indian economy in terms of foreign exchange earnings and employment generation,” said the document.

The National Policy on Electronics (NPE) 2019 had earlier set a target of achieving a turnover of $400 billion by 2025.

Indian flag waving in blue sky

However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it unforeseen andAunprecedented challenges.

“In light of this, the NPE 2019 targets for electronics production in 2025-26 at $300 billion appears to be more realistic considering the disruption on account of Covid-19 in the past 18 months which has been aggravated with the new variants of the Covid-19 virus such as the Omicron,” according to the document.

When it comes to mobile phones, India’s domestic mobile sales are in line with industry estimates and likely to grow faster in the coming few years due to increasing digital lifestyle and Covid-related disruptions.

“This report captures all the key points and production projections for the various products that will lead India’s transformation into a $300 billion electronics manufacturing powerhouse,” said Mohindroo.

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Business India News

‘Indian electronic repair market key in creating jobs’

According to MAIT, the apex body representing the ICT and electronics manufacturing sector in India, the repair and calibration of electronic subassemblies and products is a $100 billion industry worldwide….reports Asian Lite News

The electronics repair market in India can help generate over five million direct jobs, with a potential to generate revenues of $20 billion per annum, a new report has emphasised.

According to MAIT, the apex body representing the ICT and electronics manufacturing sector in India, the repair and calibration of electronic subassemblies and products is a $100 billion industry worldwide.

“High costs of repairing electronic goods in developed countries like the US and Europe are compelling the corporates to send goods overseas, where such repair services are provided at lower prices due to both skills and cost arbitrage,” said the report titled ‘Electronic Hardware Repair Services Outsourcing’ (ERSO) launched at the Electronics and Telecom Manufacturing Summit 2021 (MAIT-ETMS).

The report made recommendations to the Centre to streamline and simplify procedures to make India a repair and refurbishment hub for IT and electronic products.

“The electronics repair industry has the potential of becoming an emerging sector for employment growth in India. With the right regulatory support from the government of India, the domestic repair service sector in India can experience a tremendous boost,” said Nitin Kunkolienker, President, MAIT.

“It will, thereby, generate valuable Forex revenue as well as create employment, especially during these COVID-19 times, which has made millions of Indians job-less,” he added.

The report highlighted background on the regulatory landscape and emphasised bottlenecks and difficulties being faced day to day by the repair units in India, such as various regulatory approvals, import/ export restrictions, investment and Infrastructure cost, lack of skilled workforce and technology, e-waste related constraints, etc.

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