The US House of Representatives introduced a legislation in which they doubled the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to USD 130,000, making it hard for firms to use the plan to replace American employees with foreign workers, including from India.
According to High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017 which was introduced by California Congressman Zoe Lofgren concentrates on market-based allocation of visas to those companies who are ready to pay 200 per cent of a wage calculated by survey, decreasing the category of lowest pay, and increasing the salary level at which H-1B dependent employer are free from non-displacement and recruitment attestation requirements to greater than USD 130,000.
The latest change in the wage limit is double than the current H-1B minimum wage of USD 60,000 which was established in 1989 and since then remained unchanged.
"My legislation refocuses the H-1B programme to its original intent to seek out and find the best and brightest from around the world, and to supplement the US workforce with talented, highly-paid, and highly-skilled workers who help create jobs here in America, not replace them," said Lofgren.
"It offers a market-based solution that gives priority to those companies willing to pay the most. This ensures American employers have access to the talent they need, while removing incentives for companies to undercut American wages and outsource jobs," he said.
Lofgren said, "it removes the 'per country' cap for employment based immigrant visas so that all workers are treated more fairly and to move to a system where employers hire the most skilled workers without regard to national origin."
Senator Sherrod Brown has also announced to introduce H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act in the Senate which he said: "would close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs and provide increased protections for both American workers and visa holders."
"We need to crack down on the fraud and abuse that allows corporations to avoid paying Americans fair wages and exploit foreign workers," said Brown.
"During his campaign, President Trump promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programs and reform starts with this bipartisan legislation to ensure that American businesses are giving American workers a fair shot at good-paying jobs," he said.
Visa extension denied for Chinese journalists
BY M. DIVYA SRI
