H-1B Visa: This decision marked a new step to tighten immigration. (File)
Washington:
The administration of US President Donald Trump on Tuesday unveiled tighter rules for immigration visas widely used by tech companies, saying the new system would be better for American workers.
The Department of Homeland Security has announced the new H-1B visa regulations for highly skilled workers, which allow up to 85,000 immigrants per year.
The move marked a further step to tighten immigration under the Trump administration, which sought to block the H-1B program in a move halted last week by a federal judge.
Tuesday’s new regulations, details of which were not disclosed, would narrow the definition of a “skilled profession” which DHS said “allowed businesses to play the game.”
The plan, which will be implemented after a 60-day comment period, is also said to require companies to make “real” offers to U.S. residents before seeking to attract foreigners and add new compliance mechanisms.
The visa program has been widely used by companies in Silicon Valley to recruit engineers and other skilled workers, many of whom are from India. Critics said the program lowered wages in some occupations.
“We have entered an era where economic security is an integral part of homeland security,” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement.
“Simply put, economic security is homeland security. In response, we must do whatever we can within the limits of the law to make sure the American worker gets priority.”
Last week, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in San Francisco granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the government from ending the H-1B visa program, in a case brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and backed by trade groups of technology.
TechNet, a trading group that includes many Silicon Valley companies, denounced the new regulations, calling it an effort to circumvent the court order.
“The administration is ignoring the court’s decision by making different rules to try to get the outcome it wants,” said TechNet president Linda Moore.
“This new rule only hurts America’s ability to recover from the pandemic during this critical time and has no impact on increasing US domestic jobs.”
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
