Trump to pause certain work visas for rest of 2020: White House official
Administration aiming to preserve 500,000 U.S. jobs this year
The Trump administration is expected to take action Monday to restrict certain temporary work visas for the remainder of the year.
A senior administration official said Monday that the president will sign an executive order to pause H-1B, H-4, H-2B, J-1 and L-1 visas for the rest of the calendar year. Exceptions will be made for certain groups, including H-2B applicants who work in the food industry.
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During an interview with Fox News’ John Roberts over the weekend, Trump said to expect an announcement within the coming days. It has been widely reported that an executive order will be signed Monday.
The administration expects the executive order to save about 500,000 U.S. jobs. The White House has said such a measure could help U.S. workers find new employment since the coronavirus has resulted in more than 45 million people filing jobless claims since mid-March.
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In addition, the guidance is expected to alter the H-1B visa process, awarding the 85,000 positions to the top salary earners – as opposed to a lottery system – to ensure that the highest-skilled applicants are admitted. The Department of Labor will also implement salary requirements, the same senior administration official said.
As previously reported by FOX Business, Republican lawmakers had raised concerns that losing temporary or seasonal guest workers could stunt the U.S. economic recovery. GOP senators made the case for not suspending or restricting nonimmigrant temporary visa programs – like H-2A and H-2B – which they argue help small businesses that are already suffering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
In response to the order on Monday, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said he expected negative outcomes for the U.S. economic recovery.
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FOX Business’ Blake Burman contributed to this report.