Just a few weeks in the past, President Trump introduced the applying payment for an H-1B visa would enhance to $100,000. The value tag despatched shock waves by means of the tech ecosystem, which heavily utilizes the visa to convey expertise in from different international locations.
On this week’s Fairness, we sat down with Jeremy Neufeld, the director of immigration coverage on the Institute for Progress, to speak concerning the visa adjustments, what it means, and why it’s taking place.
He mentioned the intention of the visa change is smart, however the implementation of it has “left loads to be desired.”
“A number of the proposals that they’ve ended up deciding on have both loopholes or they’re prioritizing the unsuitable factor,” he mentioned. Because of this, he mentioned, the visa adjustments will most likely have the reverse impact than what the Trump administration supposed. “It’s going to be a giant tax on us bringing in high researchers from all over the world.”
However for all of the sticker shock, there are lots of people in help of the visa adjustments. Neufeld mentioned it is smart to ensure that the 85,000 open H-1B visa slots are literally going to helpful employees and that it is smart to cost a payment to make sure that solely the perfect are making use of — and receiving the visa.
He additionally spoke concerning the allegations that corporations had been abusing the visa. However once more, he mentioned, there are loopholes within the adjustments which are arduous to disregard.
Elsewhere within the dialog, we spoke concerning the different adjustments made to the visa, such because the required wage ranges. We contemplated the Trump administration’s causes for altering the visa and the chances of extra adjustments to the visa occurring earlier than its lottery within the spring. Neufeld additionally spoke about what affect it will have on the worldwide tech scene and hiring.
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“I feel many individuals are going to be deterred from coming to america,” he mentioned.
General, there are a lot of uncertainties relating to almost each side of this visa change. Proper now, he mentioned, the adjustments are in a “discover and remark interval,” the place it’s accepting suggestions from members of the general public. Given the reactions to the change, much more might be coming.
