WASHINGTON – U.S. employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers can use the federal government’s H-1B visa program for a fee, allowing professionals skilled in technology and other fields from abroad to work in the United States for a few years.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pursued a broad immigration crackdown since taking office last year, has lambasted the program and wants to permanently raise the fee from between $2,000 and $5,000 to more than $100,000.
Despite criticism that some companies use the visas to hire lower-paid foreign workers instead of Americans, business groups and companies say they help recruit highly skilled professionals and address a lack of qualified U.S. workers in some industries. The visas, established by Congress in 1990, are especially critical for technology companies seeking to recruit from India and China.
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