Trump’s Plan to Recondition the H1-B Visa Program for High Skilled Workers
Trump plans to head to Wisconsin today to sign the order that will make it increasingly more difficult for U.S. companies to hire overseas workers for low to middle income positions. The Administration feels that the current H1-B lottery program does not live up to its original purpose – to bring in high-skilled workers. Instead, companies have been using it to bring over low-income and low-skilled laborers. The new executive order is aimed to forced the Department of Homeland Security, State and Justice to review the current H1-b program and offer suggestions for improvements that can be attained through legislation.
The order will also aim to raise the overall criteria for the perspective H1-B applicant’s so that those most qualified will apply. The Trump administration says it believes the order will be supported by labor unions, although it will likely be met with opposition from the tech sector, which has used the H-1B program to boost its workforce. A second part of the executive order will direct federal agencies to prioritize American firms when rewarding federal contracts. The agencies are being told to reexamine how they grant waivers to award federal contractors to low-bidding foreign manufacturers.