Washington, October 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Nirav Sheth, an Ahmedabad-born Republican challenging Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal in Washington state’s 7th Congressional District, has backed the suspension of Microsoft’s green card sponsorship while proposing a separate immigration quota for highly skilled technology professionals directly employed by major companies.
In an interview with IANS ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, Sheth supported the decisions of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance to suspend the sponsorship process, alleging that third-party recruitment agencies were exploiting the immigration system.
“The immigration fraud is the major concern right now,” he said, arguing that some workers had waited 10 to 15 years for green cards while others allegedly used loopholes to secure them more quickly.
Sheth declined to comment on whether Microsoft, Adobe or Infosys had engaged in fraud, saying investigations were ongoing and he did not want to prejudice the process.
At the same time, he called for a “complete overhaul” of the green card backlog affecting Indian professionals and said removing the per-country cap could be possible. He argued that legal workers should not be penalised for following immigration rules and described the prolonged uncertainty faced by skilled workers and their families as unfair.
His proposal would establish a separate green card quota for high-skilled professionals directly employed by companies such as Microsoft, Adobe and Facebook, rather than those recruited through third-party agencies. He also advocated direct coordination between employers and the Department of Homeland Security.
Sheth acknowledged that defeating Jayapal would be difficult. After securing 10.6 per cent of the vote in the August primary, he said he hoped to reach 20 per cent in November, conceding that he did not expect to win and intended to contest again in two years.
Jayapal, born in Chennai, secured approximately 84 per cent of the primary vote. Sheth rejected the description of her as anti-Indian but accused her of being “anti-American”. He also claimed she had not done enough for the Indian-American community, although he did not present specific evidence to substantiate the broader allegation.
Sheth said he believed some Indian voters, including Punjabi and Gujarati residents in Kent, were moving towards Republicans. He accused Jayapal of concentrating on national political disputes rather than Seattle-area concerns such as homelessness, drug overdose deaths, crime and the difficulties faced by small businesses.
He cited the closure of his Italian restaurant last year, which he attributed to break-ins and other problems, and criticised Washington’s Climate Commitment Act over its impact on fuel costs.
Born and raised in Ahmedabad, Sheth moved to the United States as a student in 2008, studied in Orlando and at the University of Massachusetts, and joined the US Marine Corps in 2011. He said his military service helped him obtain citizenship. He later worked as a police officer in Washington state before resigning because of hearing loss in one ear. He now owns five businesses, including auto repair centres and a credit card processing firm.
Assessing Trump’s second term, Sheth said the economy was thriving but identified fuel prices and the war with Iran as concerns. On India-US relations, he said it would be interesting to see how ties develop.
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