Friday 6th September 2024
US President Donald Trump has put a high emphasis on immigration services as he launches his re-election bid for presidential polls scheduled in November.
On June 22, President Trump has signed an executive order in a bid to suspend various immigration programs, including the H-1B visa, till the end of 2020.
The new order will extend the pause on some green cards and suspend visas for other foreign workers.
The move came in a bid to benefit the American workers who lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the US Government, nearly 50 million Americans have lost their jobs due to Covid-19.
The White House said that the move would create around 5.25 lakh jobs.
The new executive order will affect around 525,000 people including high-skilled tech workers, non-agricultural seasonal helpers, au pairs, and top executives.
The decision to extend the ban on some green cards is going to impact an estimated 170,000 people.
The new restrictions will affect the following categories of workers.
The order applies to H-1B visa, the most sought-after visa program by Indians to gain employment in the US as skilled immigrants.
Currently, the H-1B visas are distributed via a lottery, but the US Government has put forth a proposal to award visas based on salary.
The new order will suspend most H-2B visas for seasonal non-agricultural workers, including those in the food processing, hotel work and landscaping industries.
The new regulations will restrict the J-1 visa, a category that includes people who visit the US for cultural and educational exchange.
L visas, including L-1 visa and L-2 visa, will also be suspended under the new order.
“This is a bold move by the Trump administration to protect American jobs,” applauded Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.
Earlier, the Trump administration has decided to halt visa services in April due to the coronavirus pandemic. This order was supposed to expire on June 22.
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