H1-B visa restrictions: Democratic lawmakers urge Trump admin to spare healthcare workers

Washington: A group of influential Democratic lawmakers has urged the Trump administration to exempt healthcare workers from the temporary suspension of the entry of certain foreign workers including those on H-1B visas, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals.

President Donald Trump, in his June proclamation, banned the entry into the US of workers in several key non-immigrant visa categories, including the H-1B, arguing that they eat into American jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.