Doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to $130,000, legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives. The High Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017 is introduced by California Congressman Zoe Lofgren. $130,000 is more than double of the current H-1B minimum wage of $60,000, established long back in 1989 and remained unchanged since then.
“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," said Lofgren.
This also ensures American employers have access to the talent while removing incentives for companies to undercut American wages and outsource jobs. This bill also provides that all workers are treated more fairly and employers hire only most skilled workers without regard to national origin.
During President Trump’s election campaign, he promised for H-1B, L-1 reforms ensuring that American businesses are giving American workers a fair shot at good paying jobs. Now, the bill mandates employers first offer a vacant position to an equally or better qualified American worker before seeking an H-1B or L-1 visa holder encouraging companies to hire qualified American workers and prevent them from using foreign workers as a source of cheap labor.
Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are authorized to investigate fraud and abuse of those companies violating the bill’s requirements. Needless to say, Indian IT sector will be the major sufferer with this new bill.