The Independent View: H-1B Visa Changes Will Impact U.S. IT

For many Companies, the H-1B Visa Program has been a valuable source for Information Technology (IT) Talent.

The Program, which awards 85,000 visas to Foreign Workers each Spring based on a Lottery system, has also been met with Controversy, not just as a perceived means for Replacing American Workers but also for the Administrative Burden of its Process, which has had a Limiting Effect on which Companies apply.

As of April 1st, 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has Enacted Changes to the H-1B Visa Program aimed at Streamlining the Application Process and Tilting the Selection Process in Favor of Applicants with U.S. Master’s Degrees.

Other Proposed Policy Changes could do more Harm than Good, by Limiting the Job Prospects for International Students, barring Spouses of H-1B Visa Holders from Receiving Work Authorization in the U.S., and Driving Tech Talent out of the U.S. to Canada.

Rather than Splitting H-1B Applications into Two Pools, with Applicants with Undergraduate Degrees vying for 65,000 Visas and those with Advanced Degrees vying for the 20,000 Remaining, Applicants will be Combined into a Single Pool, from which 65,000 Visas will be Drawn by Lottery, with the USCIS selecting 20,000 workers for the Advanced Degree Exemption from the Applications Left over.

A Lobbying Group representing Tech Giants including Apple, Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, and Microsoft has already expressed Concern about the Trump Administration’s Changes for the H-1B in 2019.

“As the administration considers sweeping changes to U.S. immigration policies, the tech industry hopes that it does so in a way that keeps America competitive, and able to retain and attract the best and brightest workers across the world,” said Jose Castaneda, Spokesman for the Information Technology Industry Council, which Advocates for an Increase in the Number of H-1B visas.

“At a time when governments across the globe are attempting to lure the next generation of innovators with smart immigration policies, we urge the Trump Administration to advance policies that allow tech companies to do the same.” he continued.