US lawmaker introduces Bill to end H1B visa programme
Says prioritising foreign labour over well-being of US citizens undermines national interests
A US lawmaker has introduced a Bill to end the H1B visa programme, saying corporations had repeatedly abused this system and imported cheaper foreign labour into America.
US Representative Greg Steube, a Republican from Florida, introduced the “Ending Exploitative Imported Labour Exemptions Act or EXILE Act”, a Bill that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by ending the H1B visa programme.
“Prioritising foreign labour over the well-being and prosperity of American citizens undermines our values and national interests. Our workers and young people continue to be displaced and disenfranchised by the H1B programme that awards corporations and foreign competitors at the expense of our workforce. We cannot preserve the American dream for our children while forfeiting their share to non-citizens. That is why I am introducing the EXILE Act to put working Americans first again,” he said.
H1B visas are used by a large number of Indian professionals to live and work in the US. The Trump administration has intensified its crackdown on immigration, both legal and illegal, imposing new and stringent restrictions on visas such as H1B. Describing abuse of the H1B programme as a national security threat, Trump last year signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H1B visas.
