How H-1B visas are caught in the political divide over US immigration
Trump loyalists in Silicon Valley support the foreign worker permit but political strategists and Republicans are against the programme.
Join our WhatsApp Community to receive travel deals, free stays, and special offers!
- Join Now -
Join our WhatsApp Community to receive travel deals, free stays, and special offers!
- Join Now -
As newly inaugurated President Donald Trump readies his immigration crackdown, his allies in his Republican Party have splintered over policies surrounding US worker visas intended to go to specialty occupations like the tech industry.
The row over so-called H-1B visas is pitting Silicon Valley-aligned Trump allies like X CEO Elon Musk, who favor the programme, against opponents like former White House strategist Steve Bannon, many of whom want curbs on overall immigration levels – legal and illegal – with Trump’s return.
How have H-1Bs ended up in the fray? Here’s what to know:
What are H-1Bs and how do they differ from other US work visa programmes?
The H-1B visa program is reserved for people from other countries who are employed in specialty occupations in the United States, frequently in the technology field.
They can include software engineers, tech program managers and other IT professionals.
People in the United States on H-1Bs can extend beyond an initial six-year time frame – three years plus a three-year extension – if a green card application has been filed.
Under the terms of their visas, workers who are laid off face the prospect of having to leave the country within 60 days unless they can find another job or manage to change their immigration status.
Other work programs include H-2A visas, which...
