U.S. technology companies have long taken advantage of the H-1B permit, which begins on a three-year basis and can be extended for an additional three years. This program has allowed firms to attract many skilled professionals from nations such as India and China to address workforce shortages.
Critics of the system claim the program overlooks capable domestic job seekers. Last week, former President Trump proposed raising the fee for new H-1B applications to $100,000—a dramatic increase from the current fee of about $2,000 to $5,000. Analyst Morris stated that such an elevated fee is unlikely to benefit American job seekers since the charge is relatively modest for major tech companies. He argued that changing the visa allotment would have been more effective than modifying the fee structure.
Local talent suffers.