Biden lets Trump era H-1B visa bans expire in a win for tech firms
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Trump’s H-1B visa ban: On Thursday US President Joe Biden let the ban on foreign workers visas, specifically H-1B, lapse as the notification given by his predecessor Donald Trump expired, a move which is probably going to benefit thousands of Indian IT professionals.
Amidst a national lockdown and the COVID-19 emergency, Trump in June a year ago gave a proclamation that suspended entry to the US of candidates for several temporary or “non-immigrant” visa categories. Including H-1B, arguing that these visas presented a danger to the US labor market during the economic recovery.
On 31st December 2020, Trump extended the order to 31st March 2021. Taking note that an extension was warranted as the pandemic continued to disrupt American’s lives. And also high levels of unemployment and job loss were still presenting serious economic challenges to workers across the US.
Biden didn’t give a new proclamation for the ban on H-1B visas to continue after 31st March 2021.
He had vowed to lift the suspension on H-1B visas, saying Trump’s immigration policies were cruel.
The expiry of Trump’s proclamation would now result in the giving of H-1B visas. By American diplomatic missions overseas would result in US organizations bringing in talented technology professionals inside the country.
No new announcement was given by Biden till Wednesday at 12 PM. Resulting in the automatic end to the ban on issuing fresh H-1B visas.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House won’t restore a ban on H-1B and other work-based visas. Which imposed last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that is set to expire on Wednesday.
Joe Biden to let Trump’s H-1B visa Ban
Meanwhile, a Republican Senator from Missouri on Wednesday urged Biden to give a new proclamation to continue with the H-1B visa ban.
“I write today to urge you to extend the freeze on temporary foreign worker entries into the United States that, without intervention, will expire today,” Senator Josh Hawley wrote in a letter to Biden.
“The official declaration suspending entry of certain temporary workers into the US has protected Americans suffering the pandemic-induced economic crisis. With millions of struggling Americans out of work – and millions more desperate to make ends meet. Now is not the time to open the floodgates to thousands of foreign workers competing with American workers for scarce jobs and resources,” he wrote.
In his letter, Hawley wrote that the unemployment rate stays at 6.2 percent. With almost 10 million Americans unemployed and searching for a job. The pandemic has been especially devastating for low-income and working-class Americans. Large numbers of whom have borne the brunt of the crisis – and stand to lose the most from misguided policy decisions, he said.
[US completes H-1B initial electronic registration selection process]
In periods of high unemployment, it makes no sense to allow a struggling labor market to be flooded with a wave of foreign competition, he said.
“What makes even less sense is to willingly introduce further competition for the US workers. At the same time that a disastrous illegal immigration crisis grows on our southern border. As at the border, failure to take meaningful action is, in itself. A policy decision with detrimental impacts for American workers.
“I urge you to extend the temporary foreign worker entry suspension until the national unemployment rate has meaningfully declined. And until your government has conducted a thorough review of non-immigrant visa programs. To secure that American workers are fully and effectively protected from harm,”.
