Strict advocacy for a more challenging citizenship exam and significant reforms in the H-1B visa system by the head of USCIS under Trump's administration.
The new director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, has announced plans to restructure the H-1B visa program and modify the citizenship test required of potential U.S. citizens.
Edlow's proposed revisions to the H-1B program aim to address criticism that the current system allows companies to hire foreign workers at lower wages than American workers. The reforms may help to alleviate criticism from the right side of the Republican party, who claim the program brings in immigrants ready to take lesser wages.
Under the proposed changes, the H-1B visa lottery may be scrapped in favor of a new selection system based on skills, experience level, and salary. The Trump administration's reform plan for the H-1B visa selection process proposes replacing the current random lottery system with a wage-based priority selection system. This change aims to favor higher-paying, higher-skilled roles, potentially increasing offered salaries by over 60% for first-time applicants.
The reform would also require employers to disclose wage information during the visa registration process, allowing the USCIS to prioritize applicants accordingly. This approach aligns with President Trump’s emphasis on merit and wages rather than a purely random lottery.
In addition to the H-1B visa program reforms, Edlow believes that the test to become a U.S. citizen should be made more difficult. During the first Trump administration, the agency doubled the number of civics questions and required candidates to answer 12 out of 20 questions to pass the citizenship test.
However, not everyone is in favour of these changes. Doug Rand, a former Biden administration official, believes modifying the H-1B process to benefit higher-wage individuals is unwise. Some IT industry supporters of President Trump stated they rely on the H-1B program due to a lack of competent American workers. Vice President JD Vance criticized corporations for laying off domestic staff and hiring overseas workers.
The proposed revisions to the H-1B program require approval from the federal government's rule-making process. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have submitted a proposal for a new H-1B visa selection system to the White House.
These changes, if implemented, could significantly alter the landscape of the H-1B visa program and the U.S. workforce. Stay tuned for updates on the progress of these proposed reforms.
- The proposed changes to the H-1B visa program, if approved, could potentially influence the finance sector by encouraging companies to offer higher salaries for skilled foreign workers.
- The ongoing debate over H-1B policy-and-legislation is a reflection of the broader politics surrounding immigration and economics, with voices from both sides expressing concerns about wages and qualifications.
- In the realm of general news, the restructuring of the H-1B visa program is expected to have wide-reaching implications for the American economy and the Defi industry, particularly for companies heavily reliant on foreign talent.
