Due to Covid-19 about a 5% of the US total workforce approx 33 million Americans are unemployed in the last seven weeks as the pandemic cripples the American economy.
Due to increasing unemployment level US Senators have requested President Donald Trump to suspend all non-immigrant work permits for at least a year or till employment levels return to normal.
They have also urged for the rejection of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme which led students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) work in the United States for up to three years after graduating. According to past data in 2019, approx 223,000 people had their OPTs approved or extended. They also want the EB-5 investor visa program to be suspended.
“These suspensions are critical to protecting American workers as our economy gets back on its feet,” Republican Senators Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Charles E Grassly and Tom Cotton wrote in a letter to Trump on Thursday.
The Senators also want rules to be eased for allowing more doctors and nurses to come in to bridge a gap of shortage of health professionals in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In February, unemployment in the United States was at an all-time low of 3.5%.
They also asked Trump to suspend all new guest-worker visas for a period of 60 days and further till unemployment reaches normal levels. The letter main purpose is no to allow million guest workers into the US each year when local unemployment rates are so high.
If Trump accepts the proposal, Indian tech workers would be the hardest hit as Indian nationals account for two-thirds of the H-1B visas issued each year.
Stopping the inflow of new H-1B visa holders would protect those who are already in the US. In the event of losing a job, H1-B visa holders have to leave the country within 60 days.
