Mexico Leveraging Potential Curbs on H-1B Visa to Attract Indian IT Pros

Mexico is ready and willing to welcome Indian IT professionals with open arms if the U.S. goes ahead with its adjustments to the H-1B working visa program.

Melba Pria, Mexico’s Ambassador to India, said that Guadalajara, also known as Mexico’s Silicon Valley, is already home to more than a dozen Indian IT firms, according to an interview with The Indian Express.

“Mexico will happily welcome them,” she said, referring to the reports that Indian IT firms are worried about the proposed new regulations for H-1B visas.

Mexico has made a similar offer to American companies, with the Government of Jalisco, the Mexican state where Guadalajara is located, publishing an open letter to U.S. technology companies,  inviting them to set up operations in its territory.

But Pria’s comments assume a greater significance because most of the major Indian IT firms are already running at least one delivery center in Mexico, and since their employees carry a U.S. visa they can travel to Mexico without having to obtain a Mexican visa.

Among the Indian IT firms in Mexico, TCS has the largest presence, but others, including Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Hexaware, Tech Mahindra, and NIIT, have smaller operational units.

In addition, the two countries already have a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) in place to promote trade and investment. In June last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mexico seeking to bolster the economic relation.

Reports say the bilateral trade between the two countries stands at around $6 billion.