H-1B Visa Fee Increases

Critics and supporters of H-1B visas alike are finding the latest measure to increase fees to be wholly inadequate and ineffective. The measure passed both houses of Congress and was signed in to law by the President on Aug. 13. What proponents and advocates on all sides of the debate have to ask themselves is whether this measure will have any impact on American jobs and will it close loopholes that allow companies to abuse wages for temporary technology workers.

The increase of $2,000 for H-1B visas affects those companies that employ more than 50 employees in the United States where 50 percent or more of its employee base is made up of visa holders. The measure, as argued by the Indian trade organization Nasscom, is a protectionist measure that is driven by stateside politics rather than an attempt to spur U.S. hiring.

Earlier this year, University of California Davis professor Norman Matloff claimed to find critical omissions in the wage numbers used to shape H-1B Visa discussions.

For more, read the full eWeek article, H-1B Visa Fee Increase Unpopular Across the Board.