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Vance backs H-1B visa curbs, slams firms for bypassing American labour for ‘cheaper third world options’
Trump earlier this year imposed a $100,.000 fee for new H-1B visa applications, impacting the US tech sector's ability to hire skilled foreign workers
US Vice President JD Vance, voicing support for the H-1B visa crackdown in the President Donald Trump-led administration, said on Sunday that it is wrong for companies to bypass American labour “just to go for cheaper options in the third world.”
Vance was speaking at the annual AmericaFest convention of Turning Point USA, conservative student organisation co‑founded by right-wing activist Charlie Kirk who was assassinated in September this year.
Vance, highlighting that “true Christian politics cannot just be about the protection of the unborn or the promotion of the family, as important as those things absolutely are”, said “it must be at the heart of our full understanding of government.”
Why do we penalise corporations that ship American jobs overseas, Vance asked, adding, “Because we believe in the inherent dignity of human work and every person who works a good job in this country.”
Vance on H-1B visa
Raising another question, Vance said, “Why have we worked, without the help of Congress, to restrict H-1B visas.” He answered, saying “Because we believe it is wrong for companies to bypass American labour just to go for cheaper options in the third world.”
Donald Trump earlier this year, taking one of the most drastic measure so far in his immigration crackdown mission, imposed a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications.
H-1B visa programme is widely used by the US technology sector to hire skilled workers from abroad, with India being the top contributor of manpower.
In other news, Alphabet’s Google and Apple have advised some employees on US work visas to avoid international travel due to delays of up to 12 months for visa stamping appointments at embassies, Business Insider reported on Friday citing internal memos.
Immigration law firms representing the companies said the delays arises from new social media screening requirements, warning that staff risk being stranded outside the US if appointments are postponed, the report said.
