Visas were the difference between me being a privileged student attending a private liberal arts college or never setting foot in this country. My parents were granted H-1Bs to work as temporary residents. This paved the way for them to get green cards and become U.S. citizens. It’s scary to think that future generations may not have the privilege I did.
H-1B visas are temporary, non-immigrant work visas allocated to foreigners who apply for jobs in the U.S. They are primarily for filling labor shortages for high-skilled workers with at least a bachelor’s degree in any specialty occupation field.
Recently, President Trump signed a presidential proclamation that increased the H-1B visa fees from $10,000 to $100,000. Trump signed the proclamation, titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” on Sept. 19, and it stands effective for all first-time H-1B applications after Sept. 20. Essentially, U.S. employers have to pay the fee whenever petitioning for new foreign workers. The administration’s decision to increase this fee was a mistake that will have compounding negative consequences. Even at Trinity, Megan Mustain, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, sent an email on Sept. 20 urging faculty to stay in the U.S., or return immediately if they were abroad.
While I was born in the U.S., my parents’ process to become citizens has shown me how crucial these visas are to immigrant families’ financial success.
If an individual strives for a job in the U.S. right after completing college in their country of origin, it’s clear they are trying to better their lives. No one would go through the tedious process of applying for a job, securing an H-1B and moving countries unless there was a benefit. Several studies have shown that immigrants’ income growth, their children’s mobility and “economic assimilation” are all increased by migration to America. This presidential proclamation is taking socioeconomic mobility away from foreign populations.
Proponents of this change may say, “But how does that affect the U.S? It’s disappointing for them, but not our problem.” If you believe this claim, reread my line about compounding consequences. The vast majority of approved H-1Bs go towards jobs in computer-related fields, engineering and architecture. The tech companies that hire these workers only further technological advancement, innovation and infrastructure.
The increases in H-1B applications in the tech industry displays how workers abroad have directly contributed to software and research development. By instilling this proclamation, companies are less incentivized to hire highly skilled workers who contribute to advancements in industry, infrastructure and technological improvements. Large companies such as Apple and Microsoft can afford the fee increase short term, but start-ups and small firms will struggle. This creates a domino effect — skilled workers aren’t hired, so new firms struggle to grow.
“Oh whatever, it’ll be fine, people born here will step up and fill these jobs. The way I see it, this is a benefit for real Americans to take back their occupations. These foreigners have been hurting our economy by stealing all of our jobs anyway, right?”
Wrong. Research by economist Madeline Zavodny concluded differently; H-1B holders do not “steal” job opportunities or discourage Americans from pursuing STEM degrees. Several studies show that H-1B holders are not direct substitutes for native born workers, and because H-1Bs are used mainly to fill labor shortages, restrictions on them will not increase native employment.
“But there’s been evidence that H-1Bs are abused by U.S. employers. They purposely pay lower wages to these workers to increase their profits — Karl Marx was right!” I do acknowledge there is evidence to prove that some companies abuse H-1B visas to set lower wages to foreigners, comparable to U.S. citizens. However, there is little data to assert a significant wage reduction for native-born U.S. workers by hiring H-1B holders. We should also recognize that most H-1B employers pay their workers well above the average market wage.
And honestly, the pros of this program far outweigh the cons. The majority of H-1B holders (software developers) are paid more in America than in their home countries. They get U.S. health benefits, significant opportunities to advance in their careers and contribute to the country’s economy by working high-skilled, specialized jobs.
The Trump administration claims that this fee is meant to prevent companies from exploiting workers for lower wages. But if they really wanted to deal with this issue, there are other ways to do it, such as random audits and severe consequences for employing exploitation tactics. While these methods are not flawless, they are a better alternative than essentially making the H-1B program obsolete.
When weighing the pros and cons of this proclamation, the Trump administration should ask themselves, why does keeping a company’s employment standards in check, or increasing native employment, have to come at the expense of an immigrant’s career?
