The US Chambers of Commerce is enacting a massive effort to support business. There is an acute shortage of skilled and professional workers in the US. As such, doubling the H-1B visa quota and eliminating the per-country quota for Green Card holders are being pursued by the Chambers.
The highly sought-after non-immigrant H-1B visa supports foreign workers in specialty occupations to work in the US. The demand to increase the H-1B quote from the current 65,000 annually is part of the America Works campaign. There are an additional 20,000 H-1B visas available for those who have higher studies.
A worker shortage is holding back companies across the US.
Through the America Works program, the US Chamber highlights specific requests, including:
Double the cap on H-1B employment-based visas
Double the quota on H-1B and H-2B visas
Growth in federal investment for employer-led job education and training programs
Expanding childcare for working parents
The program asks for support to train workers in the skills needed by US companies to help fill high-demand jobs locally as well as internationally.
The Chamber asks to double the cap on all employment-based immigrant visas from 140,000/year to 280,000/year. By eliminating the practice of counting spouses and minor children under the Green Card annual quota, the number of employment-based immigrant workers could nearly double.
The program also asks the Biden administration to give international students who graduate from US universities more opportunities to get employment-based green cards. Additionally, they ask for more options for entrepreneurs to gain permanent residency so they can grow their businesses in the US.
As possible on a safe level, the US Chambers is also asking the administration to reinstate routine visa processing at consulates around the world.
It also seeks to expand access to H-2A agricultural worker visas for non-seasonal agricultural businesses to ensure the future success of these businesses.
As always, ILBSG continues to monitor developments around employment-based visas and all immigration topics. If you have questions, contact us at ILBSG. We are here to help ensure you get the right advice.
