Bill to end H-1B visa abuse reintroduced in US Congress
By Dileep Thekkethil | January 5, 2017
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Immigration reform is one of the 5 executive actions in Trump’s to do list for day one.US-Visa

California Republican Darrell Issa has re-introduced a bill aimed at cracking down on the H-1B visa abuse by making major amendments to the existing program, allowing only highly skilled foreign employees work in the US.

The new bill, titled “Protect and Grow American Jobs Act,” has been re-introduced in Congress by Republican Darrell Issa and Democrat Scott Peters proposing important changes to the eligibility criteria for availing H-1B visa.



The bill has recommended a hike in the minimum salary of H-1B employees, and elimination of the masters’ quota/cap. The lawmakers have proposed an increase of $100,000 in the annual salary of H-1B employees.

The two lawmakers argue that the new amendments will help in cracking down on visa abuse by companies that hire average workforce from other countries for cheap salary, thus depriving American jobs.



The lawmakers are of the opinion that the legislation will ensure that only talented people from the world get an opportunity to work in the US, thus offering more job opportunity to US citizens.



The bill comes after a number of companies — among them, Disney, SoCal Edison and others — came under fire for allegedly using the H1B program to replace American workers with foreign workers.

“In order for America to lead again, we need to ensure we can retain the world’s best and brightest talent. At the same time, we also need to make sure programs are not abused to allow companies to outsource and hire cheap foreign labor from abroad to replace American workers,” Issa said.

“The legislation we’re introducing today does both. It will ensure that our valuable high-skilled immigration spots are used by companies when the positions cannot be filled by the existing workforce,” Issa said.

The official statement of Issa added: “The legislation would help close a loophole in the nation’s high-skilled immigration system being used by these companies to bring in cheaper foreign labor from abroad.”

“By raising the salary to a level more in-line with the average American salary for these positions, it would help cut down on abuse by removing the profit incentive and ensuring these positions remain available for companies who truly need them,” it further said.

Issa’s bill is introduced with the support of fellow San Diego-area Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA).

When introduced in the House last year, the bill had faced strong opposition but with President-elect Trump calling for restricting the H1B program, its re-introduction has gained more significance.

Immigration reform was one of the five executive actions that Trump plans to take on the first day at the office as the President. Trump said earlier that he would ask the Department of Labor to investigate visa abuses

https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2017/01/05/bill-to-end-h1b-visa-abuse-reintroduced-in-us-congress-by-lawmakers421078/

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RIP Consultancies

The crook consultancies will just show high prevailing wage but will find out ways to take their city from the consultants check. I hope they catch all the fake resume boosters consultancies and fine them and put them in jail for years.

Is it targeted only towards consultancies? Haven't had a chance to go over the proposed bill.

Apparently, many Indians see India’s growth as a global tech hub hampered as tens of thousands of tech workers have left to work in the US.


'Trump and Sessions plan to restrict highly skilled foreign workers. Hyderabad says to bring it on.' - Washington Post

"Sessions and Issa’s legislation primarily targets large outsourcing companies, such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, that receive the vast majority of H-1B visas and use them to deploy workers to American companies seeking to cut costs. In 2015, the top 10 recipients of H-1B visas were outsourcing firms. As recently as 2013, the Justice Department, which Sessions stands to take over, settled with Infosys for $34 million in a visa fraud case.

“Logically speaking, I’m worried,” said Vadlamani, who until recently worked for Deloitte in Orlando. “But being Indian, I believe that if it is in my karma, then I will get the visa. If not, there are more and more jobs these days at good companies here.”

But if Vadlamani is circumspect about her prospects should the visa program be restricted, politicians and business executives in her home town are bullish. Not only is employment booming in Hyderabad, they say, but should the United States move against H-1Bs, their economy stands to gain. 

The H-1B program provides American companies with cheap, temporary contractors who often work longer hours than Americans and take on the monotonous programming jobs Americans scorn. Proponents of the program argue that foreign workers increase innovation at American companies as well as contribute to local economies. A few Indians who came on work visas have even gone on to become heads of important American companies."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/trump-and-sessions-plan-to-restrict-highly-skilled-foreign-workers-hyderabad-says-bring-it-on/2017/01/08/8701e0ca-d2c0-11e6-aa0c-f196d8ef0650_story.html?utm_term=.e15b5b8a743f

This thread discussion on reddit seems to shed some light on this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/5m6q9k/h1b_visa_reform_bill_reintroduced_in_us_congress/

about fu*king time

Yeap, it's about time.
Hope this bill gets a good hearing and pass to be implemented.
These consultancy leeches need to be put to rest.

Yes specifically TCS and Infosys. Can add wipro on the list too. Eating almost 40 percent of the quota on their transport of IT people with no US degree. They should just allow US degree candidate to be qualified.