The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing to revise the definition of specialty occupation to “increase focus on obtaining the best and the brightest foreign nationals via the H1-B program,” a news report in The Economic Times said.
The changes may see the introduction of additional requirements to ensure employers pay appropriate wages to H1-B visa holders.
The changes have been proposed under the Fall 2019 Unified Agenda that provides a roadmap of planned federal rule-making across agencies.
A similar set of changes has also been proposed for L-1 visas, used in intra-company transfers. In addition, the DHS has suggested that the ban on the work authorization for spouses of H1-B visa holders should be implemented by March next year.
"The purpose of these changes is to ensure that H1-B visas are awarded only to individuals who will be working in a job which meets the statutory definition of specialty occupation,” the DHS said. “In addition, these changes are intended to ensure that the H1-B programme supplements the US workforce and strengthens US worker protections."
DHS has proposed a target of December 2019 and September 2020 respectively to publish the rule for the H1-B and L-1 visa changes.
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