Program might end; restrictions imposed on even Green Card holders.
The H-1B visa program may soon come to an end under a Donald Trump presidency, as early as next year, if the Republican decides to use his executive powers to achieve his pre-elections promises, once in the White House.
“I will end forever the use of the H-1B as a cheap labor program, and institute an absolute requirement to hire American workers first for every visa and immigration program. No exceptions,” Trump had declared publicly in March, and then time and time railed against the program.
ComputerWorld reported that Trump’s proposal for “extreme vetting” of visa applications, as well as the temporary suspension of immigration from certain countries, would raise fees and add delays for anyone seeking a visa, including H-1B visas, citing immigration experts.
“In particular, a plan by Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, to stop issuing visas — at least temporarily — “from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world” may make it difficult for a significant number of people to get visas,” noted the report.
Data assembled by Computerworld through a Freedom of Information Act request shows foreign workers come from all corners of the world, including “dangerous and volatile regions.” The most, however, come from India.
In 2014, the U.S. approved more than 370,000 H-1B applications, including for visa extensions. Out of that number, a total of 262,730 visas went to applicants from India. Second and far behind were those from China, with 29, 936, followed by Canada with 7,653. Nepalese applicants got 1,997 of those visas, while of that number, 2,234 of the H-1B visa holders were from Pakistan.
“Trump’s plan to admit only people “who share our values and respect our people” didn’t indicate how it would be applied. It also didn’t say whether all visa holders — visitor, H-1B and green card — would be subject to an ideological litmus test,” noted ComputerWorld.
However, going by Trump’s rhetoric in the past against Muslims, it can be assumed that Pakistanis would be hard put to get an H-1B visa. Also, Muslims from India would similarly would have to go through tough vetting. It remains to be seen if even Green Card holders would face tough vetting by immigration.
Jessica Lavariega-Monforti, a professor and chair of the political science department at Pace University in New York, was quoted as saying that further backlogs could be created:
“The immigration system, as it currently stands, could not process additional vetting without creating backlogs and increasing wait times for applicants. At the same time, it is unclear how these policy changes would increase safety against a terrorist attack,” she said.
The New York Times reported that Trump’s proposal to do away with the H-1B visas is strange considering that his companies have used it to bring in foreign models.
“But his companies have asked the federal government for permission to bring in more than 1,000 foreign workers on guest visas, according to Labor Department data. More than 200 of them were fashion models for Trump Model Management who qualify by possessing only “distinguished merit and ability,” unlike other H-1B applicants who must possess “highly specialized knowledge,”’ the Times reported.
The issue has been further muddied by questions about the immigration status of his wife, Melania, when she arrived for a nude modeling session in 1995, a year before she says she was legally able to work the United States. Trump has said she never violated the nation’s immigration laws. She also said she might not have been paid for the nude modeling shoot, but her legal pathway from tiny Slovenia to the runways of New York remains murky, the Times reported.
Meanwhile, Indian IT industry body Nasscom today shrugged off pre-election political commentary in the US around work visas, but expressed concern over “discriminatory approaches” of the American authorities, reported PTI.
“What we have to see on every side is not rhetoric but actions…In this case, the actions which have already been taken, have been discriminatory and are causing injury to the industry and imposing costs,” Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar said referring to the US’ plan to hike the fees for work visas.
Chandrashekhar added that the industry should wait for “this phase to be over” as “it comes up every time there is an election”.
“Right now, I won’t say that there is a major cause for concern…the number of visas has remained what it was, the cap has not changed,” he said.
2 Comments
With most H-1b visas going to companies that force Americans to train their H-1b replacement, it’s about time someone started talking, at the Presidential level, that we need to reform this program.
With more than half of the generally available H-1b visas, going to Offshore Outsourcing companies, and with the Offshore Outsourcing companies sponsoring practically zero people for a Green Card.
We have let the H-1b program become essentially and anti-immigration program. If you want more immigrants, of all nationalities (including India of course), then you want our government to start reserving H-1b visas for companies that sponsor people for a Green Card.
These Offshore Outsourcing companies all have internal programs to NEVER hire an American for jobs on U.S. soil, and that frankly is Anti-Capitalis, it is discrimnation and violates U.S. Civil Rights laws. And it wastes critical resources the U.S. needs to help the U.S. economy grow (and growth frankly has been anemic).
And if you want to stop job destruction, as a result of the H-1b visa being used mostly by Offshore Outsourcing companies, then you want these visas to be reserved for companies (I don’t care where they are based, international companies are welcome) that actually create (not destroy) jobs in the United States.
The Offshore Outsourcing companies (maybe) should not be barred (although that is always a sovereign option), but they can instead use the U.S. Free Market to find workers (trainers and liaisons), you know Capitalism, same as any other business on Main St. USA.
it’s high time indians realize the US does not exist for them. it’s time for the US government to remember whom they work for: americans first!