The United States government awards a number of H1-B visas to out of country workers who travel to the U.S. for highly-skilled jobs. These immigrants are allowed to stay in the country while they are working to share their knowledge with United States based companies. Most workers who are given these types of visas are well-educated, holding bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in their areas of expertise. Many have complex skill-sets, like computer science, engineering or mathematics.

The legal cap of H1-B visas the government can issue is 85,000. However, according to the Migration Policy Institute, there were more than 345,000 given out to immigrant workers in 2016. The reason why some people have an issue with the number of H-1B visas given is that some companies are accused of paying immigrant workers less than they would pay United States citizens holding the same position. Some argue that companies hire workers under the H1-B Visa program to decrease their labor costs and crowd out American workers. The study showed that companies employing immigrant workers may pay employees up to $30,000 less than someone from the United States. 

When people in California face immigration issues, such as obtaining a family visa or an employment visa, they may want to contact an attorney regarding their legal options and rights. An attorney may help answer questions and guide you in the right direction.

Source: The Washington Free Beacon, “Study: Number of High-Skilled Immigration Visas Quadruples Legal Cap,” Charles Fain Lehman, Mar. 28, 2018.