Biden administration ‘undecided’ on ending Trump-era H-1B visa ban
3 min read
The Biden government on Monday showed it is still undecided on ending the Trump-era H-1B visa ban on giving new H-1B visas, with the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas affirming that its main concern is the acute needs of people fleeing persecution.
In January, then-President Donald Trump had extended the ban on giving new H-1B visas till 31st March. Arguing that the nation is having a high unemployment rate and the US can’t bear to have more foreign workers.
“His replacement President Joe Biden has revoked dozens of the executive orders of Trump including a few of those related with immigration like the lifting the Muslim visa ban or those related with Green Card, the one that forced a ban on giving H-1B has still not been lifted. It will terminate on 31st March 2021, if Biden doesn’t give a new proclamation.
“What is the status of the review of the Trump-era visa bans for H1B visas and has the White House decided to lift those bans before they lapse toward the month’s end?” Mayorkas was asked at a White House news conference.
I don’t actually (know)- – I hate to end the questioning on a question. The answer to which I am not sure. However, this goes to what exactly continued us. We have such a lot of work to do to fix and to reestablish and to reconstruct that we have a prioritization matrix and of course. The acute needs of people fleeing persecution are a high priority.
Simultaneously, the USCIS has proceeded with its H-1B application allocation process for the fiscal year starting 1st October 2021. Also, it announced that it has received enough applications to allocate 65,000 H-1B visas. And another 20,000 H-1B visas to the individuals who have finished their higher education from US universities.
Biden Govt undecided on reversing Trump-era H-1B visa ban
Biden has revoked a policy given by his predecessor during the COVID-19 pandemic. That blocked many Green Card candidates from entering the United States. A move that will profit numerous Indians working in America on the H-1B visa.
Trump, a Republican, given the ban a year ago, saying it was needed to ensure US workers amid high unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card. It is a document given to immigrants to the US as proof that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.
Indian IT professionals, most of whom are highly skilled and come to the US mainly on H-1B work visas are the worst sufferers of the current immigration system. Which imposes a seven percent for every country quota on allotment of the coveted Green Card or permanent legal residency.
[The Luck of the Draw: H-1B Lottery Set to Open from 9th-25th March 2021 ]
The H-1B visa, the most sought after among Indian IT professionals. It is a non-immigrant visa that permits US organizations to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology organizations rely upon it to hire a huge number of employees every year from nations like India and China.
The US is at present facing a backlog of nearly 473,000 qualified family-based Green Card requests.
Because of Trump’s ban on giving green cards, as many as 120,000 family-based preference visas were lost. However, this came as a major boon for giving employment-based green cards, mainly those on H-1B visas.
A large number of Indian IT professionals who painstakingly waited for their Green Card received their legal permanent residency. As a result of the last few months of the Trump government.
