H-1B Reform Bill introduced in US; Wage limit to be doubled
H-1B Reform Bill has been reportedly introduced in the US house of Representative, soaring tension among India IT giants. The Reform bill calls for more than doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to 130000USD. This move is expected to make it difficult for firms to use the programme to replace American employees with foreign workers including India.
California Congressman Zoe Lofgren introduced The high Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017. This Act prioritises market-based allocation of Visas to the companies who are willing to pay 200 percent of a wage calculated by a survey. It also eliminates the category of lowest pay and raises the salary level at which H-1B dependent employers are exempted from Non-Displacement.
Lofgren said, “My legislation refocuses the H-1B programme to its original intent — to seek out and find the best and brightest from around the world, and to supplement the US workforce with talented, highly-paid, and highly-skilled workers who help create jobs here in America, not replace them”.
She added, “It offers a market-based solution that gives priority to those companies willing to pay the most. This ensures American employers have access to the talent they need while removing incentives for companies to undercut American wages and outsource jobs”.