Amid US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants and H-1B visas, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democrat of Illinois, announced the reintroduction of the HIRE Act to increase the number of H-1B visas available annually from 65,000 to 130,000.
Legislation — Reform of highly skilled immigrants for employment (HIRE Act)—which aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand the availability of H-1B nonimmigrant visas—aims to expand access to highly skilled talent from around the world while expanding the domestic workforce.
The bill was sponsored by the ITServe Alliance, the nation’s largest association of IT service organizations.
“To build the jobs and industries of tomorrow, America must remain at the forefront of innovation by strengthening our own workforce while continuing to welcome top talent from around the world,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.
Democrats say the HIRE Act advances both goals by boosting STEM education in elementary and high schools and expanding the annual supply of H-1B visas to 130,000.
Krishnamoorthi says that by making sure employers can hire the skilled workers they need, they can create good-paying jobs and secure America’s leadership in the technologies of the future.
Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt reiterated that US President Trump does not support the replacement of American workers and is committed to protecting American jobs.
She added that when it comes to the H-1B visa, Trump has a nuanced, common-sense approach.
On September 19, Trump signed a statement to deposit $100,000 (approx ₹88 lakh) as a one-time H-1B visa fee that companies pay to sponsor applicants. The statement announced “restrictions on the entry of certain nonimmigrant workers.”
Later, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarified that the $100,000 fee would not apply to “change of status” or “extension of stay” applicants.
Following the announcement, the Department of Labor (DOL) also launched Project Firewall to investigate 175 potential abuses of the visa program to protect American jobs.
According to USCIS, Indians account for an estimated 71% of all approved H-1B applications in recent years.
Earlier this month, in a keynote speech at a business meeting at a Saudi investment conference, Trump defended his stance on H-1B visas but signaled he would make a rare exception for Saudi investors, saying they could bring their own workers to the U.S., who in turn could teach Americans.
“I love MAGA, but this is MAGA, and these people are going to teach our people how to make computer chips, and in a short time our people will be great,” Trump said.
