Trump signs new order on H1B visa hiring, blow to Bangladeshis

This Reuters file photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump. (Yonhap). Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

DHAKA, Aug 5, 2020, Dhaka Tribune. In a huge blow to Bangladeshi professionals eyeing the US job market, President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order preventing federal agencies from contracting or subcontracting foreign workers — mainly those on H1B visa — from hiring, Dhaka Tribune reported.

The move came over a month after the Trump administration in June 23 suspended the H1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020 to protect American workers in a crucial election year. The new restrictions took effect from June 24.

The H1B visa, most sought-after among Bangladeshi professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India, China and Bangladesh.

“Today I am signing an executive order to ensure that the federal government lives by a very simple rule, higher American,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House before signing the order against hiring H1B visa holders for federal contracts.

Trump told reporters that his administration will not tolerate firing of hardworking Americans in the pursuit of cheap foreign labour.

“As we speak, we’re finalising the H-1B regulation so that no American workers be replaced ever again. H-1B should be used for top highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour programmes and destroy American job,” Trump said.

The executive order requires all federal agencies to complete an internal audit and assess whether they are in compliance with the requirement that only US citizens and nationals are appointed to the competitive service.

As a result, the Department of Labour will also finalise guidlines to prevent H1B employers from moving H1B workers to other employers’ job sites to displace Americans workers.

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