Donald Trump's ban on H-1B visas 'economically stupid', say disappointed netizens

US President Donald Trump’s proclamation to temporarily suspend employment-based nonimmigrant visas and reform H-1B immigration program has been denounced by immigrants and nonimmigrants alike. The White House said in a statement that the Trump Administration will reform the immigration system to “prioritise the highest-skilled workers and protect American jobs”.

For Indians, H-1B for IT professionals, B-1 and B-2 visas for business or travel purposes, and F-1 for students are some prominent non-immigrant visas. H1-B visa allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise and Indian IT professionals looking for onshore opportunities heavily depend on it.

White House said that these reforms will help protect the wages of American workers and ensure that foreign labour entering the United States is highly skilled and does not undercut the US labour market. Trump administration also extended the pause on new immigrant visas through the end of the year to prioritise American workers during coronavirus recovery.

Read: Sundar Pichai Issues First Response As Trump Suspends H-1B Visas; Reveals Google's Stand

'Economically stupid'

However, Netizens weren’t impressed by the proclamation and raised concerns over growing protectionism, calling it “morally wrong” and “economically stupid”. A Twitter user commented that people of Indian origin who voted Trump in 2016 feel cheated by the suspension of the H-1B visa program till year-end, doubting his re-election chances. Check out some of the reactions:

According to a Bloomberg report, around 133,000 H1-B visas were awarded to workers starting initial employment with a company in the fiscal year 2019. Over 12,000 people were awarded L-1 visas in initial applications, and over 98,000 people were issued H-2B visas in the same fiscal year. Critics believe that the US President is using the pandemic as an excuse to work on his long-term agenda of limiting immigration to the United States. 

Read: South Africa-born Elon Musk Says H-1B & Other Visas Add Net-job Creators; Opposes Trump