US All Set To Ban H-1B, Students Visa To Protect American Jobs; Lakhs Of Indian Techies Will Be Impacted

The United States of America is likely to put a temporary ban on the issue of some work-based visas like the widely popular H-1B, along with some student visas and work authorization, which may lead to distress among foreign students and professionals in the country.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, over 33 million Americans have lost their jobs in just the past 2 months. This has bought the US economy to a standstill.

Trump to Temporarily Ban H-1B Visas

The US is working to temporarily ban the issuance of some work-based visas like H-1B and H-2B visa.

• The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers from countries like India and China in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
• It is highly popular among highly-skilled Indian IT professionals.
• Speaking of the H-2B visa, it is used by seasonal migrant workers, as well as student visas and the work authorization that accompanies them.

It is clear that on putting a temporary ban on these non-immigrant visas, would lead to a stop in the entry of immigrants into the U.S.

Why is Trump Govt Doing This?

As a result of the economic slowdown due to the coronavirus, many Americans, approximately more than 35 million have lost their jobs.

This has increased the levels of unemployment in the U.S. Trump has always been advocating his inclination towards native born Americans securing the American jobs first, before an immigrant on a visa secures the needful position.

Since his Presidency, Trump has formulated various reforms and campaigns leading to reduce the number of immigrant work visa and educational visas received by foreign borns to enter the U.S.

In fact, the IMF and the World Bank have projected a negative growth rate for the country. According to the White House, the US economy is likely to grow at negative 15 to 20% in Q2.

The move is reportedly being taken due to the high level of unemployment in the country. Practically, as many as 500,000 migrant workers are employed in the US on an H-1B visa status. 

By doing this, more Americans will be able to access the job positions, which would otherwise be filled with immigrants.

Some More Stats

The monthly jobs report on Friday said that the unemployment rate in the US for the month of April rose to 14.7%

This is the highest recorded rate and the largest over-the-month increase in the known history of America.

Last month, President Donald Trump had signed an executive order temporarily barring new immigrants for 60 days, including family members of US citizens.

However, the publication further stated that an official decision in this regard has not been reached yet, and the suspension of visas could range from staying entire visa categories to creating incentives for hiring Americans in the industries hit hardest by the layoffs.