Immigration lawyers are urging their foreign clients who work in the tech sector and are in the US on visas to return to the country before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. The warning comes as the Trump administration is expected to include a number of executive orders that would limit access to many types of work visas, particularly those that are common in the tech industry. according to New York PostMr Trump has also vowed to reinstate his ban on people entering the country from Muslim-majority countries.
So in light of this, US-based immigration lawyers have asked foreign tech workers on visas to return to the country before Donald Trump takes office on January 20, 2025. “The storm is coming. And this time, we know exactly what it’s going to bring,” Texas-based immigration attorney Jason Finkelman told business insider,
“I think it’s possible that Trump could try to impose travel bans on certain countries, as he did initially when he tried to implement the travel ban. While I think travel bans will be challenged in the courts, The challenges it faces could create problems for American employers “being restricted from hiring and retaining the foreign talent they need for their operations,” Mr. Finkelman said.
A California-based lawyer is also urging her clients traveling abroad to return to the country in anticipation of a possible travel ban. Separately, another lawyer wondered whether China could also be included in the Trump administration’s new travel ban. “The wildcard for me is what happens with China,” the lawyer told the outlet.
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Tech experts in the US are now waiting to see what Mr Trump will do with the H1-B visa, which allows companies to hire immigrants for specialized roles that require certain skills. Often, the H-1B visa is the only way for a highly-skilled foreign national to work in the US long-term. Critics say the H-1B visa allows companies to pay lower wages with less protection.
Notably, in Trump’s first term, the number of rejected applications for H-1B visas increased. During his presidency, he also issued his “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, which directed Cabinet members to suggest reforms to ensure that business visas are granted only to the most vulnerable to protect American workers. Should be awarded only to the highest paid or most skilled applicants.
