Category: Diaspora

(New York, NY: July 18, 2025) 

GOPIO’s inaugural Webinar receives wonderful response;

Immigration Upheavals and Indian Diaspora Challenges highlighted for advocacy and future impact

 The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) inaugurated its new international webinar series on July 12, 2025, with a compelling session titled “Indian Diaspora and Immigration Upheavals – Path Forward.” The webinar started with a welcome by Webinar Series chair Sunil Vuppala, who is also GOPIO’s Associate Secretary.  Chief Guest was Lord Bhikhu Parekh, a member of the House of Lords in London. The event gathered leading immigration attorneys, policymakers, and community thought leaders to examine the shifting landscape of immigration policy across the US, Canada, and the UK.

Moderated by renowned thinker and researcher Dr. Maya Chadda, Professor Emeritus at William Paterson University and a permanent member of the Council of Foreign Relations, the webinar tackled pressing issues faced by Indian students and immigrants—ranging from visa backlogs and restrictive reforms to evolving international student work policies in the USA, Canada and UK.

GOPIO’s Founder and Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, framed the initiative with a clear message: “Our goal is to create a global platform that not only informs but equips the Indian diaspora to navigate complex immigration landscapes with clarity and purpose. Through these webinars, GOPIO remains a catalyst for connection, advocacy, and community resilience.”

GOPIO President Prakash Shah, emphasized the series’ vital role in responding to community needs and said, “This series is more than information—it’s a lifeline. We are committed to amplifying the concerns of our communities across borders and shaping a proactive response to immigration challenges with expert insights and collaborative solutions. In addition, we want to galvanize the Indian Diaspora for a greater contribution to reshape the future of global migration.”

Featured Experts and Insights

Lord Bhikhu C. Parekh – Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, is a renowned political philosopher and speaker emeritus. He opened the webinar with remarks reflecting on the diaspora’s historical resilience despite the many challenges faced in the early years and more recent times.  Lord Parekh added “Migration out of India had been quite common, in pre-Aristotelian times in 3th and 4^th Century BC, people usually moved from Gujarat to various parts of Greece, Rome and South-East Asia. Then it remained static and picked up again, when slavery was abolished and it was replaced by indentured labourers scattered across 42 countries.”

David Nachman, Esq. – New Jersey-based immigration attorney and founder of NPZ Law Group, highlighted “Enforcement priorities under the proposed Big Beautiful Bill and shared the immigration matters under various categories to be considered by the present and future diaspora members planning an immigration to US not only from India but also from Australia, UK, Europe to rejoin their extended family.”

Stephanie Dy, Esq. – Chicago based Parikh Law Group Immigration attorney specializing in high- skilled visas, explained stricter H-1B and L-1 vetting protocols. “She covered the effect of the Trump Administration’s immigration policies on the visa categories used by the Diaspora, specifically the Student and Employment visas and highlighted that any change in immigration policy is seismic and significant and impacts the diaspora especially as during 2024 the US India Mission broke records for 2^nd year in a row with record over 1 million non-immigrant visas issued.”

Shaima Ammal, London based Solicitor and Advocate. “She shared post-pandemic reforms reducing low-skilled migration from India and recent changes in the policies has led to primary focus on border security and stopping illegal immigration with focus shifting towards allowing those that can contribute to the economy with English language are encouraged and how this will be implemented is to be seen.”

Dr. Sudhir Shah, Mumbai based Immigration Specialist – Provided insights into EB-5, L-1, and family-based visa options for Indian nationals. “He focused on the current visa requirements and encouraged those applying for visas, do it with honesty and preparing yourself for the visa application then you will be definitely granted the visa.”

Gaganjot Kaur – Toronto based Immigration expert, discussed ripple effects of U.S. border security measures on Canadian student policy. “She shared the policies has led to focus on international students that includes additional vetting, financial stability, education field as areas being considered along with a cap of 5% being introduced.  She added that the investor visa option is still open in Canada.” 

GOPIO Immigration Issues Webinar Organizers, Chief Guest, Moderator and Panellists: First Row: Prakash Shah, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Gaganjot Mundra; Second Row: Prof. Maya Chadda, Dr. Sudhir Shah, David Nachman; Thord Row: Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Sid Jain, Shaima Ammal; Fourth Row: Stephanie Dy, Raj Punjabi and Kumu Gupta

The session started with a tribute to Michael Phulwani, a renowned Indian American immigration attorney & immigration pioneer, with touching remarks from President Shah and Attorney David Nachman recounting shared legal journeys and cultural insights from India.

Key Action Items and Initiatives

• Encourage HR teams to implement visa tracking systems and sponsor risk policies
• Request Immigration lawyers provide timely guidance on new regulations and higher denial trends
• Counsel International students to comply with work hour limits and timely OPT applications
• GOPIO to host monthly webinar series covering technology, youth leadership, and healthcare investment
• Next webinar on AI and Technology set for August 9, 2025
• Plans launched for international symposium on AI, quantum computing, and tech innovations in early 2026
• Efforts underway to establish GOPIO chapters in Boston, Nashville, South Jersey and Pune through local WhatsApp network. Those interested to join may contact Sid Jain at +1 201 889 8888 or email at siddharth@aaaumom.com.
• Advocacy for India-USA bilateral facilitation to ease and enable investment-based visasGOPIO General Secretary Sid Jain gave the concluding remarks and vote of thanks to all in attendance. The event concluded with calls for collaboration, education, and ongoing dialogue among Diaspora communities.**GOPIO logo is a trademark registered under the US and India Patent and Trademark Office.

  For more info on GOPIO International Monthly Programs, contact Sunil Vuppula +1 (732) 331-3084 or Rohit Vyas GOPIO Global Media Council Chair at 732-319-0972 or send an email to gopio@optonline.net.