Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
News for those in foreign jobs. The US has decided to prolong the hiatus on some green cards and suspended visas for other foreign workers until the end this year.
This decision will effect those in high-skilled tech workers, non-agricultural seasonal helpers, au pairs and top executives. White House said the move will create jobs for Americans hurt economically due to the pandemic. US president Donald Trump has to face elections this November.
In a briefing, the Trump administration told reporters the freeze, in place through the end of the year, would impact about 525,000 people. That includes an estimated 170,000 people blocked by the decision to extend a ban on some new green cards – which grants permanent residence to foreigners. The White House first announced it was halting those visas in April, an order that had expired on Monday.
Existing visa holders are not expected to be affected under the new restrictions announced on Monday. The order also applies to H-1B visas, many of which are granted to Indian tech workers. Critics say these visas have allowed Silicon Valley companies to outsource American jobs to lower-paid foreign employees. Last year, there were about 225,000 applications competing for 85,000 spots available through the H1-B visa programme.
The order will suspend most H-2B visas for seasonal workers, including those in the hospitality industry, except those in agriculture, the food processing industry and healthcare professionals.
The order will restrict J-1 short-term exchange visas, a category that includes university students and foreign au pairs who provide childcare. Professors and scholars are not included in the order. There will be a provision to request exemptions.
