The H-1B work visa, which is highly popular among Indian technology professionals, puts American workers at risk, a top Republican Senator has alleged.<\/p>\n
The H-1B program offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.<\/p>\n
But since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been cracking down on the scheme.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe H-1B visa is one programme that really puts American workers at risk,\u201d Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, said during a Congressional hearing on homeland security yesterday.<\/p>\n
Noting that the population of H-1B workers in the US has been growing for decades, Grassely said, with that growth, comes an increased possibility for fraud or abuse.<\/p>\n
\u201c..both of which I have seen and called on the Department of Homeland Security, with the help of Department of Justice, to investigate and prosecute,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Grassely even looked to put blame on the H-1B workers for \u201cstagnation\u201d of salaries in the technology sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vast majority of these H-1B workers are employed in the technology sector, and we\u2019ve seen salaries in that industry stagnate for decades, at the same time the number of foreign tech workers keeps growing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The senator said he was encouraged that Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced several H-1B initiatives \u201cdesigned to protect American workers\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would continue with its efforts to reign in abuses in a variety of foreign worker immigration categories,\u201d said Grassley.<\/p>\n
Participating in the Congressional hearing, Senator Orrin Hatch asked Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen on reports of doing away with work authorisation of spouses of H-1B visa holders.<\/p>\n
Nielsen did not give a direct answer to this. But did say the Department was looking into all of the visa categories.<\/p>\n
Hatch also asked Nielsen about news reports on cancelling three-year extensions for H-1B visa holders who are being sponsored for green cards — which can be a time-consuming process due to per-country green card limits.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that Congress previously addressed this issue in 2000, and indicated its intent to allow such extensions. Can you tell me if the department is, in fact, considering ways to stop granting these three-year extensions? And, if so, why? And I\u2019d also be interested in hearing the department\u2019s explanation of how ending these extensions squares with the 2000 law,\u201d Hatch asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not familiar with the very specific example on H-1B, but I will get back to you immediately after this,\u201d replied the Secretary of Homeland Secretary.<\/p>\n
The curb on H-1B visa extensions could result in self- deportation of an estimated 500,000-750,000 Indian Americans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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