The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) inaugurated its new international webinar series on July 12, 2025, with a session titled “Indian Diaspora and Immigration Upheavals – Path Forward.”
Immigration attorneys, policymakers, and community leaders participated. Webinar Series Chair Sunil Vuppala, who is also GOPIO’s Associate Secretary welcomed everyone including the Chief Guest Lord Bhikhu Parekh, a member of the House of Lords in London, a press release from GOPIO said.
Moderated Dr. Maya Chadda, Professor Emeritus at William Paterson University and a permanent member of the Council on 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.
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“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,” Thomas Abraham, founder and chairman of GOPIO said.
GOPIO President Prakash Shah called the series “vital” for the community in North America and other countries, adding, “we want to galvanize the Indian Diaspora for a greater contribution to reshape the future of global migration.”
Lord Parekh reflected on the Indian diaspora’s resilience historically; David Nachman, Esq., a New Jersey-based immigration attorney covered what the Big Beautiful Bill meant for immigration which needed to be considered by the present and future diaspora members planning to immigrate to US not only from India but also from Australia, UK, Europe to rejoin their extended family.
Chicago-based Parikh Law Group Immigration attorney Stephanie Dy, addressed changes in high- skilled visas, explained stricter H-1B and L-1 vetting protocols.
Other speakers included London-based solicitor and advocate Shaima Ammal; Dr. Sudhir Shah, Mumbai-based immigration specialist; Gaganjot Kaur, Toronto-based immigration expert, discussed ripple effects of U.S. border security measures on Canadian student policy.
A tribute was paid to well-known immigration attorney Michael Phulwani. Some initiatives were adopted such as encouraging HR teams to implement visa tracking systems and sponsor risk policies; requesting immigration lawyers to provide timely guidance on new regulations and higher denial trends; counselling international students to comply with work hour limits and timely OPT applications.
The next webinar on AI and Technology is set for August 9, 2025, the press release said. Several other events are also planned.