Legislation on H-1B visas launched in US Congress

Image Source : AP Legislation on H-1B visas launched in US Congress
Three American lawmakers have launched a laws within the House of Representatives that stops employers from hiring overseas H-1B employees if they’ve lately, or plan to, furlough their US employees and requires employers to pay their H-1B employees greater than their American employees.

Introduced by Republican Congressmen Mo Brooks, Matt Gaetz and Lance Gooden the American Jobs First Act proposes to overtake the H-1B visa program by making needed adjustments within the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The H-1B visa, essentially the most wanted amongst Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that permits US corporations to make use of overseas employees in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical experience. 

Technology corporations depend upon it to rent tens of 1000’s of workers every year from nations like India and China.

As per the textual content of the invoice launched on Wednesday, a overseas visitor employee will not be admitted or offered standing as an H-1B nonimmigrant in an occupational classification until the petitioner employer has filed with the Secretary of Labor an software stating the employer is providing an annual wage to the H-1B nonimmigrant that’s the better of the annual wage that was paid to the US citizen or lawful everlasting resident worker who did an identical or comparable work throughout the 2 years earlier than the petitioner employer filed such software; or USD 110.

The petitioner employer additionally must file with the Secretary of Labour an software stating the employer is not going to require an H-1B nonimmigrant to pay a penalty for ceasing employment with the petitioner employer earlier than the date agreed to by the H-1B nonimmigrant and the petitioner employer.

The invoice that has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and along with the Committee on Education and Labour amongst different issues suspends the F-1 OPT program, which grants all overseas college students extendable work permits and exacerbates job market competitors amongst American graduates.

It ends the range visa lottery program, which the lawmakers alleged fails to serve US pursuits by issuing 50,000 inexperienced playing cards to foreigners from around the globe no matter their {qualifications}. Given that the Democrats have a majority within the House of Representatives, the invoice has little probability to be handed.

“My American Jobs First Act will bring much needed reform and oversight to the H-1B visa program to ensure that US workers are no longer disadvantaged in their own country,” Brooks stated.

“To end the allure of cheap foreign labour, the bill will require employers to pay any H-1B workers a minimum amount of USD 110,000,” he stated.

“And to stop American worker replacement, my bill will require companies seeking H-1B labour to not have fired any American workers for at least two years without just cause and commit to not firing any workers without just cause for two years after. Commonsense H-1B reform measures like these, alongside ending the unfair Optional Practical Training (OPT) and diversity visa lottery programs, all serve to promote American interests when it comes to immigration,” Brooks stated. 

ALSO READ: Biden admin ‘undecided’ on ending Trump-era H-1B visa ban
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