The Obama Administration has made no secret of the fact that they intend to change the landscape of the United States immigration system, and now it appears the administration is beginning to take proactive steps in some particular areas. While most of the opponents of revamping the immigration system want to make it more restrictive by focusing on the plan to help keep immigrant families intact, one area that has not been thoroughly discussed is making it easier for highly-skilled foreign workers to immigrate to the U.S. Some Unites States visas are now easier to get—so what does that mean for the future of immigration?
Focus on Technology
It is relatively clear that the most impacted areas of work will be in skilled worker positions, but what is not clear is how many new workers will actually be relocated to the United States. In a recently reported news story, the Indian immigrant technical workers are the individuals who will be the most impacted by the change. The alteration allows Unites States companies to hire skilled labor in foreign countries and then transfer them to U.S offices under corporate sponsorship. This would allow technical industry companies to sidestep dealing with the U.S. ICE Agency before the worker could ever be allowed in the country legally.
A Dual Purpose Policy Shift
While it appears that the primary purpose of the change is for making the employee transfer process simpler, what may really be the most important component is the potential for businesses that utilize skilled workers to actually establish businesses in the United States. Many of these companies are currently headquartered in foreign countries because that is where the needed talent is located. The red tape of the U.S. immigration process is avoided completely. Now, with the transfer of company employees being a routine company decision, corporations needing these skilled workers can invest in the United States where many already do business.
The new immigration policy that is being established by executive order is really a gift to corporations in many ways, as the number of H 1-B visas issued each year is capped for some industries that are in dire need of manpower to complete their business cycles. Immigrant farm workers are an excellent example of this need, as many of the farmers across the U.S. could not harvest their produce without these very valuable workers. While these worker numbers will probably not be increased, the door is wide open now for technology companies to invest for the future and locate in the United States.
While there are still people on both sides of the issue, only time will show the true impact of these changes. Getting a visa is still a very complicated process, so just because it is “easier,” doesn’t mean it is easy. The information for this article was provided by a visa lawyer in Boston.
