The US companies have now come under the trap of President Donald Trump’s warning amid their applications for coveted skilled-worker visas.
Trump’s message reveals those companies who overlook qualified American workers for jobs will be prosecuted. The citizens should not be placed in disfavored status.
The American employers, mostly from technology companies, have started seeking H-1B visas for programmers and other specialized workers from across the world.
Acting head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Tom Wheeler, said the department will conduct investigation in the matter and claims will be prosecuted.
The Barack Obama government had taken action against those companies that violated Immigration and Nationality Act’s anti-discrimination provisions like favoring foreigners more than US workers in businesses.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services said many Americans in the past have been ignored or disadvantages over foreigners from other countries even though they were qualified and were willing to work.
Trump had earlier vowed to be ending the H-1B visa as a cheap labor program and companies need to affirm the job requires a specialty skill that is not fulfilled by a US worker.
The announcement didn’t surprise big companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft as the H-1B visas were mostly used by consulting firms who look for lower-paid foreign workers for the contracted jobs to US companies.
