Democratic lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi has brought back the High-Skilled Immigration Reform for Employment (HIRE) Act. The bill aims to increase the annual H-1B visa limit to 1,30,000. He says the move will help the country stay strong in both the economy and technology. At the same time, it will address serious labour shortages in key sectors.
As H-1B visas become more expensive, the debate over hiring foreign workers is growing in the United States. Some Americans want to limit overseas hiring.
A Two-Track Plan to Fix Worker Shortages
The HIRE Act follows a two-way approach. First, it plans to attract more skilled workers from abroad. Second, it focuses on strengthening the American workforce by increasing federal funding for STEM education.
In simple terms, the bill does not depend only on foreign talent. It also works to prepare American students for future jobs in science and technology.
H-1B Visa Cap Could Double
Right now, the US issues 65,000 H-1B visas each year. Under this Act, that number will rise to 1,30,000. This change will help companies, especially in advanced technology fields, find the workers they need.
In addition, the bill will remove the current 20,000-visa limit for people who hold advanced US degrees. This means more international students who study in the US can stay and work.
The ITServe Alliance, the largest association of IT service companies in the country, supports the bill. They say the current limit does not meet industry demands.
More Funding for STEM in US Schools
Along with visa changes, the Act also directs more funding to science, technology, engineering, and maths programmes in US schools. The goal is to strengthen skills from an early age.
As a result, the government hopes to build a stronger local workforce in the future and reduce long-term dependence on foreign workers.
Immigration Becomes Major Election Issue
The issue of foreign workers has gained attention ahead of the 2024 Presidential elections. A YouGov survey showed that 14.6 per cent of registered voters now consider this topic the most important political issue. In 2012, only 2.1 per cent felt the same way.
This sharp rise shows how important immigration and jobs have become in national politics.
Trump Raised Fees for Foreign Hiring
In September, Trump, now the President, signed a proclamation that made it much more expensive to hire foreign workers under the H-1B program. The annual fee rose to $100,000.
According to the government order, “The H-1B nonimmigrant visa program was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labour.”
It also stated, “The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program has undermined both our economic and national security.”