US President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday unveiled a fresh slew of measures to tighten rules for immigration visas used widely by technology companies. The Trump administration claimed that the reform would benefit American workers.
The Department of Homeland Security made the announcement and stated that the new regulations for the H-1B Visas were meant for highly skilled workers, and added that it will limit the current annual influx of immigrants to 85,000.
The move is a clear sign of intent at tightening immigration under the Donald Trump administration, which had earlier sought to block the H-1B program, a move which was halted by a federal judge.
The new spade of regulations announced on Tuesday, details of which were not disclosed, will narrow the definition of “speciality occupation” which according to DHS “allowed companies to game the system.”
The plan, to be implemented after a 60-day comment period, would also seek to require firms to make “real” offers to US residents before seeking to bring in foreigners and add new compliance mechanisms.
The visa program has been widely used by Silicon Valley firms to bring in engineers and other skilled workers, many coming from India. Critics have said the program has depressed salaries in some professions.
“We have entered an era in which economic security is an integral part of homeland security,” acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement.
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“Put simply, economic security is homeland security. In response, we must do everything we can within the bounds of the law to make sure the American worker is put first.”
Last week, US District Judge Jeffrey White in San Francisco granted a preliminary injunction to block the government from ending the H-1B visa program, in a case brought by the US Chamber of Commerce and supported by technology trade groups.
