The Departments of Labor and Homeland Security on Tuesday unveiled new restrictions to H-1B work visas as part of the Trump administration’s long-sought objective of overhauling a guest worker program it said allows U.S. companies to replace American job-seekers with foreign workers who they can pay lower wages.
Under the Department of Labor rule, employers will need to pay H-1B holders higher wages, a move Trump administration officials said will discourage U.S. companies from turning to cheaper labor from abroad.
The DHS rule will redefine the “specialty occupations” H-1B visa holders can qualify for, requiring petitioners to prove they have a college degree in the specific field they are seeking to work in. The changes will also expand compliance enforcement and mandate that workers hired through a third-party firm be granted one-year work authorizations, instead of the current three-year period.
