US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that prevents federal agencies from hiring foreign workers, most of whom are on H-1B visas. “Today I am signing an executive order to ensure that the federal government lives by a very simple rule, higher American,” Trump told reporters at the Oval office.
What is an H-1B visa?
It’s a non-immigrant visa that allows American employers to hire foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. It’s a work visa which requires an applicant to be sponsored by an American employer to apply.
Why did Trump took such a decision?
The coronavirus pandemic has rendered a big blow to the economy worldwide, resulting in a rise in joblessness. The unemployment rate in the US reached an all-time high of 14.7% in April this year, as per the data of US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS).
Trump said on Monday that the new H-1B rules are to ensure that “no American workers be replaced ever again.”
“H-1B should be used for top highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour programmes and destroy American jobs,” he told reporters.
According to the White House, Trump’s actions will help combat employers’ misuse of H-1B visas, which were never intended to replace qualified American workers with low-cost foreign labour.
The decision is also crucial for Trump with respect to his re-election bid in 2020 US presidential election. In 2016, immigration featured prominently in his campaign.
How will Trump’s decision affect Indians?
H-1B visa is the most sought after by Indian professionals. As per the data of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, from 2007-2017, Indians were among the top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa, followed by China.
One of the participants present at the signing of the executive order on Monday said that as many as 70% of the H-1B visa goes to people from India.
Thus, the decision will come as a big blow to Indians seeking employment in American federal agencies.
What next?
Trump said on Monday that he favours a merit-based immigration system. “We are going to be discussing very shortly an immigration bill, which covers this and many other things,” Trump told reporters.
“It will be a very, very comprehensive bill. It’s a word that some people love, and some people hate. But it’d be very comprehensive only in the sense that it covered just about everything. It will be based on merit. It will cover territory that nobody would have thought could have ever been agreed to.”
“Immigration will be very merit-based, but it’ll be, it’ll be great for the worker. And it’ll be great for people coming into our country, but coming into our country legally and loving the country and wanting to help our country as opposed to people coming in. And they don’t like our country, he added.
