The Trump administration has proposed a new round of H1B visa curbs ahead of the election. The nonimmigrant visa program restrictions are being aimed at protecting the American workers, according to the Trump administration. They want the system to guarantee that approved people for the H1B visa are only highly qualified petitioners. How this will affect thousands of Indian IT professionals working overseas remains to be seen.
With only four weeks to go before the election, the White House is pulling out all they can do to secure the election. The Department of Homeland security announced that they would narrow down the definition, which allows people to apply for an H1B visa under specialty occupation. They will close all the loopholes in the Congress, which so far has allowed various American companies to trick the system and hire overseas workers over Americans.
Americans first policy
Donald Trump administration is also making sure that dead new policies force companies to make offers to real American employees. They will close any loopholes that allow companies to hire overseas workers, resulting in the displacement of American workers. These rules are also looking to integrate the ability of the Department of Homeland security. The Department will now be able to enforce its compliance policies and monitor resources to ensure that companies are being compliant once the H1B visa petition of a worker has been approved.
What is an H1B visa?
The H1B visa is allotted to non-immigrants who work in various US companies. US companies employ thousands of foreign workers in high tech, specialty occupations which needed sophisticated technical experience. Many companies in America depend on the visa to hire thousands of employees from India, China, or other countries at a much lower rate then what they would have to pay American employees.
This decision could have a devastating effect on Indian IT professionals who have already been seeing a curtailing immigration policy in the past year. A large number of them have already lost their jobs and returned home in the middle of the pandemic, which has shaken the US economy. The Department of Homeland security has suggested that the board’s final decision will be published and effective within 60 days.
The Department of Homeland security revealed that US citizenship and Immigration Services would discontinue the regular notice and comment. This will ensure that even though H1B restrictions are coming into place, the economy will not be worse off. It should not impact the wages and working conditions of US workers poorly.
The pandemic’s overall devastating effect is undeniable, and this interim final rule is going to be a justifiable cause. For a country such as the US, economic security is an important part of Homeland Security. The Trump administration is equating both of these factors, and with that, they are willing to do anything within what law permits to make sure American interest is put first.
What can be the impact of these changes?
The secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia has noted that the new regulation will help strengthen the foreign worker program currently in effect in the country and provide more Americans with the opportunity to land high paying jobs. The US Department of Labor is also looking into improving the wage protections of American workers, and they want companies to stop abusing visa programs where they employ cheap foreign labor instead of fairly paying American workers.
The deputy labor secretary has also reported that these changes were highly welcome and expected in the recent market situation. This will protect Americans who were long exploited by the system for the financial gain of private companies. This ensures that Americans are first in line for American jobs instead of foreign workers.
According to recent statistics, over half a million nonimmigrant workers are present in the United States, working in positions that displaced American workers. This has led to Americans getting reduced wages in various high paying industries. The goal of the Trump administration, in large, addresses these unfair labor practices and is looking to make some improvements in this sector before the election.
