The H-1B and L-1 visa reforms measure was submitted in the US Senate with support from both parties. It suggests further limits on the system for giving out work visas. This decision comes just after the Trump administration said that the H-1B fee would go up by a huge amount to $100,000 and that the lottery method would be completely changed.
The proposed law is likely to have a big effect on Indian professionals, who make up 71% of H-1B visa holders.
Important Changes and Limitations
The bill’s main goal is to make it harder for corporations who hire foreign labor to meet their obligations.
Stricter Rules: It makes it harder for firms to hire people and pay them less.
Prioritization: The measure gives H-1B visas to workers with STEM degrees first.
penalty: It makes the penalty for pay infractions harsher.
L-1 Visa Restrictions: The measure wants to plug gaps in the L-1 visa program, which lets multinational firms move staff from overseas offices to the US. It does this by limiting outplacement, boosting monitoring standards, and adding pay and displacement protections.
Reason for Bipartisanship
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin wrote the law. They said the plan was meant to “target visa fraud and abuse” and improve an immigration system that was “broken.”
Senator Durbin talked about how hard it is for American workers, saying, “Major companies are laying off thousands of American workers while filing thousands of visa petitions for foreign workers at low wages and bad working conditions.”
Effects on the economy and the system
The new rules, together with the Trump administration’s recent changes to policy, will probably make it harder and more expensive for US companies to hire foreign labor.
Costs would Go Up: The recent $100,000 price increase for new H-1B petitions and the planned revisions would make it harder to follow the rules, which will make hiring H-1B workers more expensive.
Change to the Lottery: The administration’s separate plan to change the H-1B lottery system is meant to help foreign workers who are more skilled and make more money.
Effect on Entry-Level: The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said that most H-1B jobs are held by young, entry-level workers from India and China. This means that the change in the lottery system could make it much harder for them to get jobs.
Immigration lawyers say that these policy choices will affect thousands of Indian professionals who are currently in the US on work visas.