Federal and state governments are rolling out multiple H-1B changes altering how employers calculate the costs and risks of hiring highly skilled workers. The government explained these changes improve oversight and protect U.S. workers. However, these changes are driving H-1B processing freezes by state agencies and public universities.
For example, the replacement of the random lottery with an income-based system led to a Texas directive freezing new H-1B filings colleges. The new one-hundred-thousand-dollar H-1B fee and the wage-based selection system are making institutions more selective with whom they sponsor. The H-1B program changes are particularly impacting the capacity of employers to sponsor beneficiaries in STEM, health care, and other specialized industries. These impacts are increasingly apparent to the point several groups appealed to the government for health care workers and educators to be exempt from the fee.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, please contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws and policy updates. In an ever-evolving immigration landscape, it’s particularly critical you get the right advice.