WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is racing to toughen the process for U.S. companies to hire skilled foreign workers before the end of the year, changes top Trump officials argue will preserve jobs for Americans amid high unemployment and be politically difficult to reverse.
With just weeks to go until the Nov. 3 election, the White House budget office is reviewing a fast-track regulation that would narrow the definition of a “specialty occupation” eligible for a skilled-worker visa under the H-1B program, according to the budget office website and administration officials.
A second fast-track regulation would raise the wages that employers must pay to demonstrate foreign workers will not displace Americans in the same occupation and geographic area.
Trump faces re-election on Nov. 3 and has made immigration a focus of his campaign against Democratic challenger Joe Biden. The measures – along with a planned regulation to clamp down on visas for international students and journalists – could be some of Trump’s final immigration moves before the election.
The last-minute blitz could make the new rules vulnerable to court challenges or, if Biden wins, possible reversal, according to experts. But White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration agenda, argues the policies will have popular support.