The U.S Government says that it is temporarily suspending the entry of certain foreign workers to the United States as part of efforts to free up jobs for citizens while the economy recovers from the negative effect of COVID-19 pandemic.
The government’s position, issued on Monday, will extend a ban on green cards issued outside the US until the end of 2020, saying that several temporary work visas would be frozen, including the H-1B visas, which permit employers to hire foreign workers with specialized knowledge.
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According to a senior official, the restrictions will free up to 525,000 jobs for Americans.
Major tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Twitter were, however, quick to speak out against the new immigration limits.
Saying that “preventing high skilled professionals from entering the country and contributing to America’s economic recovery puts American’s global competitiveness at risk,” Amazon, in a statement, called the move “short-sighted.”
“Immigration has contributed immensely to America’s economic success, making it a global leader in tech, and also Google the company it is today,” said Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Google. “Disappointed by today’s proclamation – we’ll continue to stand with immigrants and work to expand opportunity for all.”
Similarly, Twitter vice-president for public policy and philanthropy, Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, said:
“This proclamation undermines America’s greatest economic asset: its diversity. People from all over the world come here to join our labour force, pay taxes, and contribute to our global competitiveness on the world stage.”
Reports say that the ban, while temporary, would amount to a major restructuring of legal immigration if made permanent, a goal that had eluded the administration before the pandemic. Long-term changes targeting asylum seekers and high-tech workers are also being sought.
Meanwhile, there will be exemptions for food processing workers, which make up about 15% of H-2B visas, the official said.
In the meantime, health workers assisting in the fight against COVID-19 will continue to be spared from the green-card freeze, although their exemption will be narrower.
The official said that the Trump administration is proposing a new way of awarding H-1B visas, awarding them by highest salary instead of by lottery.
H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 a year for people with “highly specialized knowledge” and a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, often in science, technology, engineering, teaching and accounting.
Critics say high-tech companies have used the visas as a tool to outsource jobs to foreigners, replacing Americans.
