Comprehensive Overhaul of H-1B and L-1 Visa Programmes
The United States Senate has introduced bipartisan legislation to overhaul the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes. The proposed H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act aims to bring more transparency into the recruitment of foreign workers and reduce fraud and abuse in the immigration system.
Understanding H-1B and L-1 Visa Programmes
The H-1B visa programme is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The L-1 visa, on the other hand, is issued to professionals already employed by a company in another country, who are relocating to an American office. Both visas are meant to fill gaps in America’s high-skilled workforce.
Proposed Reforms to H-1B and L-1 Visa Programmes
The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act proposes several new wage, recruitment, and attestation requirements on employers looking to hire foreign workers. It requires employers seeking to hire H-1B employees to post job openings on the Department of Labour (DOL) website, while giving the DOL the authority to place a fee on labour condition applications and use it to hire an additional 200 DOL employees.
The legislation also seeks to amend the definition of “specialty occupation” to require a bachelor’s degree or higher and prioritize the H-1B visa issuance for workers with higher levels of education in STEM. For the L-1 non-immigrant programme, new time limits and evidentiary requirements for petitions from a “new office” and cooperation from the Department of State in verifying foreign affiliates are proposed.
Protection of American Workers and Visa Holders
The proposed H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act aims to protect American workers and visa holders by stopping the abuse of legal loopholes by outsourcing companies that displace qualified American workers and replace them with foreign workers who are paid sub-par wages and work under exploitative conditions. The legislation will also crackdown on companies that hire large numbers of H-1B and L-1 workers to displace American workers and facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs.
Closing Loopholes and Promoting Fairness for All Workers
The authors of the proposed legislation, Senators Dick Durbin and Chuck Grassley, long-time advocates for H-1B and L-1 visa reform, believe that the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act will stop the abuses by closing loopholes in the visa programmes. Grassley, a Republican, asserts that the programmes were meant to fill in gaps in America’s high-skilled workforce, not supplant it. The proposed legislation puts American workers first and ensures that the programmes promote fairness for all workers.
Conclusion
The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act aims to bring transparency into the recruitment of foreign workers, protect American workers and visa holders, and reduce fraud and abuse in the immigration system. The proposed legislation seeks to close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes, and promote fairness for all workers.
FAQs
What is the H-1B visa programme?
The H-1B visa programme is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
What is the L-1 visa programme?
The L-1 visa programme is issued to professionals already employed by a company in another country, who are relocating to an American office.
Why is there a need for H-1B and L-1 visa reform?
There is a need for reform to prevent outsourcing companies from replacing qualified American workers with foreign workers who are paid sub-par
