President Biden urges removal of Trump-era ban on H-1B and other foreign work visas

Five powerful Democratic senators on Thursday urged President Joe Biden to ban some of his predecessor Donald Trump’s non-immigrant visas, including the H-1B visa, which is popular among Indian IT professionals, saying American Uncertainty for employers, their foreign-born professional workers and their families.

In June 2020, Trump initiated Proclamation 10052, halting the processing of non-immigrant H-1B, L-1, H-2B and J-1 visas based on potential potential exposure to the labor market.

Although Proclamation 10052 is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2021, businesses have indicated that inaction will further harm their businesses and economic recovery.

Senators said that because the Visa Declaration 10052 either targeted low-unemployment occupations or required that visa holders not displace an American worker, businesses that rely on foreign workers left jobs despite rising unemployment Have struggled to fill.

Reports have suggested that jobs in areas such as information technology – which H-1B visa holders will have filled – have remained open or have been moved overseas, with senators Michael Bennett, Jean Shaheen, Angus King, Corey Booker and Bob Bendez said.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign employees in specialized occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

“The continuation of this ban creates delays and uncertainty for American employers, their foreign-born professional employees and their families,” the senators wrote in a letter to President Biden.

“Instead of attracting talented individuals to the United States, allowing these restrictions to remain in effect makes the immigration system difficult to navigate and drives foreign talent to other countries,” he wrote.

Additionally, Proclamation 10052, a number of businesses in seasonal communities, has relied on foreign workers to meet the demand for high-level summer months.

The repeal of the visa ban threatens both workers and employers in these communities, who may not be adequately and safely prepared for the growth season, he said.

“Every day these visa restrictions weaken our collective vision for a new, more prosperous and welcoming nation. We request you to live up to your promise to cancel Proclamation 10052 without delay, resume the timely processing of non-immigrant visas, and direct US embassies and visa appointments for non-immigrant visas Instruct to open as soon as possible, ”the senators wrote.

Despite increased unemployment due to the coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19), businesses that depend on foreign occupation struggle to fill jobs as nonimmigrant categories affected by PP10052 or lower-unemployment occupations (eg, H 1B and L-1 visa). The senators wrote that non-immigrant would not have to displace the American worker (eg, H-2B, J-1).

The H-2B program allows US employers or agents “to bring foreign nationals to fill foreign non-government jobs in the United Nations.” “By regulation many of these categories (H-2B and J-1 Summer Work Travel and Camp Counselor) are seasonal and are heavily used during the summer months when seasonal communities across the country welcome visitors .

The J-1 Visa is an exchange visitor visa for individuals approved to participate in work-and-study-based exchange visitor programs in the United States.

The L-1 visa is transferred to the US from within the same company for managerial or executive professionals, or is reserved for one of its subsidiaries.

“Failing to cancel the proclamation, these programs immediately endanger because both employees and employers may not be adequately prepared for the growth season,” he wrote.

He said that for the long-term economic recovery, the deficit to provide American tech jobs to foreign employees would worsen due to lack of access to foreign talent.

“Reports also suggest that many areas such as information technology such as H-1B have been filled by non-governmental students or will remain open or have been permanently moved abroad.

“In addition, these same occupations also mention that Proclamation 10052, coupled with announcer executive orders, has kept US citizens and permanent residents separate from their parents, adult children, and siblings,” the senators wrote .

“We believe that it is possible to continue these visas while simultaneously stopping the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. This specific proclamation is not on the safety and welfare of American citizens.