New H-1B act Introduced In US Congress To Give Priority To US-Educated Foreigners

A bipartisan group of lawmakers for the first time introduced legislation in both the chambers of the US Congress proposing major reforms in skilled non-immigrant visa programs such as H-1B L-1 by giving priority to US-educated foreign technology professionals in issuing H-1B work visas.

This reform act gives priority to the best and brightest US-educated foreign youths; a move that could benefit Indian students already in the country.

On April 1, the USCIS said that the US received approximately 275,000 unique registration requests for the Congressional mandated 85,000 H-1B visas for foreign technology professionals, of which more than 67 % are from India. As far as the students are concerned, India accounts for the 2nd number of foreign students in the US after China.

The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act, as introduced in House of Representatives and Senate, will require USCIS to prioritize for the 1st time the annual allocation of H-1B visas.

The new system would ensure that the best and brightest students being educated in the US receive preference for an H-1B visa, including advanced degree holders, those being paid a high wage, and those with valuable skills.

In the Senate, Senators Dick Durbin and Chuck Grassley introduced it. In the House of Representatives, Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Ro Khanna, Frank Pallone, Paul Gosar, and Lance Gooden introduced it.

The legislation reinstates Congress' original intent in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs by increasing enforcement, modifying wage requirements, and securing protections for both American workers and visa holders, the lawmakers said.