{"id":14772,"date":"2018-02-23T20:15:07","date_gmt":"2018-02-24T04:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/trump-administration-restricts-h-1b-worker-visas-coveted-by-high-tech\/"},"modified":"2018-02-23T20:15:07","modified_gmt":"2018-02-24T04:15:07","slug":"trump-administration-restricts-h-1b-worker-visas-coveted-by-high-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/trump-administration-restricts-h-1b-worker-visas-coveted-by-high-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Administration Restricts H-1B Worker Visas Coveted By High Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Richard Gonzales<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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The Trump administration is tightening the rules for companies that contract out high-skilled workers who are in this country on H-1B visas.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency issued a new policy memo<\/a> on Thursday that requires “detailed statements of work or work orders” about the work that will be performed when an H-1B visa worker is employed at a third-party work site. Employers will have to file more details that support the need for foreign talent.<\/p>\n

H-1B visas are controversial. American tech companies use them to hire highly skilled foreign workers, such as engineers, IT specialists, architects among others, in situations in which they say there is a shortage of U.S.-born talent. The visas are good for three years and renewable for another three-year term.<\/p>\n

Critics<\/a> of the visas \u2014 85,000 of which are issued every year \u2014 say American workers are aced out of competition with workers who can be paid less.<\/p>\n

As CNN reports<\/a>, “Indian outsourcing firms will be the hardest hit. Indian workers receive more than 70% of all H-1B visas.”<\/p>\n

The USCIS memo says that if a visa beneficiary will be placed at one or more third-party worksites, the employer “has specific and non-speculative qualifying assignments in a specialty occupation for the beneficiary for the entire time requested in the petition; and the employer will maintain an employer-employee relationship with the beneficiary for the duration of the requested validity period.”<\/p>\n