How do you think new H1-B visa rules will affect UNR, hiring and teaching there in the years ahead?
On the university's H1-B information for international scholars page it’s indicated:”The H-1B category is designed for the temporary employment in a "specialty occupation". A specialty occupation is defined as one that requires a "theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge" along with at least a bachelor's degree or its foreign equivalent in the field required for the position.”
“Some employers, using practices now widely adopted by entire sectors, have abused the H-1B statute and its regulations to artificially suppress wages, resulting in a disadvantageous labor market for American citizens, while at the same time making it more difficult to attract and retain the highest skilled subset of temporary workers, with the largest impact seen in critical science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields,” the White House statement from September 19th indicates.
Many hires in academia are international ones, with no existing caps. There are tens of thousands of H-1B visa holders employed by colleges and universities across the country, but the exact number is not publicly available.
As of Sunday, H-1B visa applications will now require a one-time $100,000 payment compared to visa fees which previously typically ranged from $2,000 to $5,000 per application.
Employers now must also have documentation of the payment prior to filing an H-1B petition on behalf of a worker.
This new fee will be applied to all new H-1B applicants, not renewals or current visa holders, and will be implemented in the upcoming lottery cycle.
The fee may have the effect of driving down the flow of foreign students to U.S. graduate programs as well, including at UNR, by negatively affecting their prospects of being hired by a U.S. university or company after their studies as completed.
Most H-1Bs are actually currently issued to individuals already in the United States, as a way to prolong their stay and opportunities.
