US Senators introduce bill to tighten H-1B and L-1 visa rules
The new legislation proposes new wage and recruitment requirements for employers, prioritising applicants with STEM degrees, and increases penalties for wage violations
In a move that could significantly affect Indian professionals, both Democrats and Republicans in the US Senate have introduced a bill seeking stricter rules for foreign workers applying for the H-1B and L1 visa programmes.
The H-1B, L-1 Visa Reforms Bill, introduced by Senator Chuck Grassley (Republican) and Senator Dick Durbin (Democrat), proposes new wage and recruitment requirements for employers, prioritising applicants with STEM degrees, and increases penalties for wage violations.
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Stricter H-1B visa regulations
The legislation is aimed at tackling "visa fraud and abuse" while providing "protections for American workers."
However, the bill’s prospects remain uncertain, as most immigration reform legislation introduced in the US Congress over the past decade have failed to become law.
Explaining the need for the measure, Senator Durbin said:, "Major companies are laying off thousands of American workers while filing thousands of visa petitions for foreign workers at depressed wages and poor working conditions."
"Congress must step in to protect American workers and fix our broken immigration system. Senator Grassley and I will work to make this bipartisan bill the law of the land," he added.
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Trump's visa fee hike
The latest move comes just weeks after former US President Donald Trump announced a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, a step the White House said was necessary to curb “systemic abuse” of the visa programme.
US Immigration agencies have also proposed rejigging the H-1B lottery to favour higher-paid workers, while the Department of Labor launched Operation Firewall to crack down on fraud and misuse of the H-1B programme.
Immigration experts say these measures will directly impact thousands of Indian professionals in the US on work visas.
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Indian professionals to be affected
Over 70 per cent of H-1B approvals currently go to Indian professionals, with Indian IT services giants such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services among the top 10 sponsors of H1B visas.
The H-1B programme, first introduced in 1990 to fill critical skill shortages in the US, allows foreign workers to stay for three years, extendable by another three.
The L1 visa, meanwhile, is typically used by multinational companies to transfer managers and executives to US offices.