News Desk: President Donald Trump on August 3 signed an executive order prohibiting federal agencies from hiring foreign workers. This order mainly affects those who are on an H-1B visa. The order comes as a huge blow for Indian IT professionals eyeing the US job markets.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa. It is the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals. The H-1B allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
IT companies depend on it to hire thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
Trump while speaking to the media said, “Today, I am signing an executive order to ensure that the Federal government lives by a very simple rule: Hire American”.
“Today, I am signing an executive order to ensure that the Federal government lives by a very simple rule: Hire American.” ???????? pic.twitter.com/G8YGU99XMb
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 3, 2020
Trump also asserted that his administration will not tolerate the firing of Americans in the pursuit of cheap foreign labour.
The executive order requires all federal agencies to complete an internal audit. The agencies are to assess whether they are in compliance with the requirement that only US citizens and nationals are appointed to the competitive service. As a result, the Department of Labour will also finalize guidelines’ to prevent H-1B employers from moving H-1B workers to other employers’ job sites to displace American workers.
Trump’s order follows the federally-owned Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) announcement that it will outsource 20 percent of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries.
Earlier on June 23, President Trump had passed an order suspending the H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020.
Image Source: Internet