DHS overhauls H-1B visa program

Source: The Hill

12/17/24 10:45 AM ET


The Biden administration announced a rule Tuesday clarifying who can apply for an H-1B work visa, a key program to attract international talent that’s been criticized as too complicated and susceptible to abuse. The new rule expands the definitions of specialty occupation positions and spells out the requirements for nonprofit and governmental research organizations to sponsor H-1B visas.

“The H-1B program was created by Congress in 1990, and there’s no question it needed to be modernized to support our nation’s growing economy,” said Ur Jaddou, director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). “The changes made in today’s final rule will ensure that U.S. employers can hire the highly skilled workers they need to grow and innovate while enhancing the integrity of the program.” The changes follow years of lobbying for a more streamlined H-1B, the workhorse of labor-related visas.

Earlier this month, Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Alex Padilla (Calif.) and Ben Ray Luján (N.M.) petitioned the Biden administration to address a series of gaps in the immigration system in preparation for the incoming Trump administration’s announced crackdown on immigrants. Among their requests was codification of the H-1B’s cap exemptions for research jobs to allow nonprofits and academia to sponsor the visas year-round.

“I’m glad that President Biden took action to streamline the H-1B program, which will strengthen our economy and make it easier for U.S. businesses to sponsor DACA recipients for work permits. Of course there’s still more work to do to protect Dreamers and TPS [Temporary Protected Status] recipients, and I’m going to keep pushing this administration to do all they can to protect hardworking immigrant families,” said Cortez Masto in a statement.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5044033-dhs-h-1b-visa-program-biden-uscis-immigration-system/