[WH] The US As Trump Temporarily Suspends 180 Days H-1B: Visa Moving To Merit-Based System
Top American lawmakers have urged President Donald Trump to revoke the temporary suspension of H-1B and other non-immigrant visas.
“I'm deeply disappointed by President Trump's misguided order to suspend these key work visa programs. I urge him to reverse this decision to help ensure our health care system and broader economy are ready to combat the next phase of (coronavirus) pandemic and to create the jobs we need for our economic recovery,” Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said.
The H-1B program, in particular, plays a crucial role in addressing the serious shortage of health care professionals while also providing other key sectors of our economy with talent from around the world to not only fill jobs but create new ones, he said
“Suspending this program will only weaken our economy and our health care workforce at a time when they need to strengthen both is as clear as ever,” Krishnamoorthi said.
This is not the right approach, said Senator Democratic Whip Dick Durbin and Congressmen Bill Pascrell and Ro Khanna after Trump's decision to bar H-1B and other work visas through the end of the year.
President Donald Trump's latest proclamation outlines a number of new restrictions on visas for temporary foreign workers.
“We need to mend the H-1B program, not end it. Instead of suspending H-1B visas, the Trump Administration should ask Congress to pass the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2020, which reforms the H-1B program with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer,” the three top American lawmakers said.
They have introduced bipartisan legislation, which they said would protect American workers and end the abuse of the H-1B program to outsource American jobs and exploit workers while ensuring employers could still hire talented immigrant workers when no qualified American is available to do the job.
Congresswoman Donna E Shalala alleged that Trump is now attacking American businesses - and jeopardizing the economic recovery - in service of xenophobia. “America will be poorer and less competitive because of it,” she said.
“This Executive Order is yet another example of President Trump using the coronavirus pandemic to advance a hateful and extreme anti-immigrant agenda,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.
His argument: the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has forced officials to do more to protect American jobs.
Business groups and immigrant rights advocates are crying foul. They say these restrictions will ultimately harm the economy, and they're accusing the Trump administration of using the public health crisis as a pretext to enact unnecessary immigration restrictions.
Unless you're an attorney or an immigrant with experience navigating the US system, the alphabet soup of visas listed in Monday's proclamation might be tough to decipher. The bottom line: a wide range of workers, from au pairs to software engineers, will be blocked from coming to the US at least until January. And those restrictions could be extended.
There are some exceptions. Among them, the proclamation says officials will come up with standards to let in people treating Covid-19 patients or conducting research to help the US combat the pandemic.
It also will draft similar standards to admit people who are critical to national security, are necessary to help the country's economic recovery or are essential to the US food supply chain. And the new measures don't apply to people who've already been issued valid visas.
But even so, the Migration Policy Institute estimates some 167,000 temporary workers will be kept out of the United States as a result of these new restrictions, which take effect on Wednesday.
Here's a look at what kind of jobs are included in Trump's proclamation, and how many people could be affected in each visa category.
H-1B VISA
What it is: According to USCIS, the H-1B visa category covers individuals who "work in a specialty occupation, engage in cooperative research and development projects administered by the U.S. Department of Defense, or are fashion models that have national or international acclaim and recognition."
What kind of work these visas cover: The H-1B is most well known as a visa for skilled tech workers, but workers in other industries, like health care and the media, have also been known to use these visas.
How many people could be affected: 29,000, according to MPI's estimates, plus some 19,000 dependents on H-4 visas.
H-2B VISA
What it is: According to USCIS, the H-2B program allows US employers or agents "to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary nonagricultural jobs."
What kind of work these visas cover: They generally apply to seasonal workers in a wide variety of industries, according to the National Immigration Forum, including landscaping, forestry, hospitality, nd construction.
How many people could be affected: 23,000, according to MPI.
J-1 VISA
What it is: According to the State Department, the J-1 visa is an exchange visitor visa for "individuals approved to participate in work-and study-based exchange visitor programs."
What kind of work these visas cover: Trump's proclamation lists a number of impacted workers, including interns, trainees, teachers, camp counselors, au pairs, and participants in summer work travel programs.
How many people could be affected: 72,000, according to MPI (plus some 11,000 dependents on J-2 visas).
L-1 VISA
What it is: According to USCIS, the L visa category covers "temporary intracompany transferees who work in managerial positions or have specialized knowledge."
What kind of work these visas cover: Managers, executives, and employees with specialized knowledge.
How many people could be affected: 6,000, according to MPI (plus some 7,000 dependents on L-2 visas).
In the past few years, the administration has been moving to tighten the H-1B program, and the approval rate for applications has fallen. The technology industry has relied on H-1B visas to hire foreign talent, particularly in the fields of science and engineering. Critics say some companies have abused the program to displace American workers.
“There's no question that employers should hire out of work Americans whenever possible, but Maine businesses have said repeatedly they need H-2B, J-1, L-1 visa holders to operate and continue to reopen... This ban will make our economic recovery more difficult,” she said.
0 Comments