US: First Relaxation In Rules For H-1B Visas

When the unemployment due to the pandemic and the elections nearby in the US forced the Trump administration to impose tough immigration-restrictions on work visas, here comes the first of the relaxations.

The Trump administration is now allowing the H-1B visa applicants currently outside the US to be considered if they are seeking to resume ongoing employment in the nation, but only if they are going to be with the same employers and the same position. The reason behind this relaxation seems to be a financial burden that’s caused to employers by forcing them to replace the employees. The same guidelines would be applicable to L1 visa applicants.

It is already known that the US government has suspended the entry of work visas categories until the year-end and the proclamation was signed on June 22.

The new relaxation gives a breather to some of the experienced employees in critical infrastructure sectors like IT and healthcare. The relaxation comes with a set of five guidelines in which the employee (applicant) should meet at least two out of them to be considered for the visa. There is also a 15% higher wage rate, but only if the visa denial of the employee causes significant financial trouble to the employer.

Earlier, the health professional and researchers in COVID-19 related traveling were exempted from the visa ban and now the criteria are expanded as to government agencies will be identifying the people in research performing and IT support.