Trump Signs Executive Order to Reform Work Visa Issuance

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, signed an executive order on Tuesday that revises the visa issuance program for bringing skilled labor to the United States. According to Reuters, the President signed this order during a visit to a tool and equipment manufacturing plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The order is aimed at fulfilling Trump's 'America First' promise and is set to review the 'H-1B' visa program for foreign workers by government agencies. One of Trump's central campaign slogans was 'Buy American and Hire American.' Advisors to the President have stated that the goal of the new executive order is to create a merit-based system for attracting skilled foreign labor. Trump stated on Tuesday: 'With today's action, we are sending a serious message to the world: We will defend our workers, protect jobs, and ultimately put America first.' Critics of the 'H-1B' visa program argue that some companies exploit this visa issuance program to bring in cheap labor to the U.S., effectively eliminating job opportunities for Americans. Trump has noted that widespread abuse of the immigration system has allowed foreign workers to replace American workers of all backgrounds. The President emphasized that 'H-1B' visas are currently awarded through a completely random lottery system, which he described as a mistake. Instead, they should be granted to skilled workers with the highest salaries, and such workers should never replace American workers. Reuters reports that Indian citizens are the largest group of 'H-1B' visa recipients in the U.S., and in this context, Infosys, India's second-largest IT services company, announced last week that reforms to the U.S. work visa program could impact its revenue. The Associated Press states that this year, applications for 'H-1B' visas have decreased by 15%, while annually, 200,000 people apply for this type of visa.