Trump all set to sign order to restrict H-1B visa

WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump's plan to restrict employmentbased visas could affect an estimated 240,000 people seeking to work in the US across industries from technology to finance and hospitality.

Trump said in an interview Saturday that he will announce new restrictions on various work visas Sunday or Monday. The plan won't affect certain workers who are already in the US, he added.

There will be very few exclusions, Trump said, when asked about upcoming rules on several different visa categories, including the H-1B program for high-skilled workers, the L-1 program for managers transferring within their companies, and H-2B visas for non-agricultural temporary workers. "In some cases you have to have exclusions. You need them for big businesses where they have certain people that have been coming in for a long time," he said. One possibility under consideration would restrict people from entering the US on visa categories including the H-1B program for as long as 180 days, citing two people familiar with the proposal. Workers who were granted those visas but remain outside the country may not be able to enter until the order expires.

The move would affect hundreds of companies and thousands of people: In fiscal year 2019, the H-1B visa was awarded to about 133,000 workers starting initial employment with a company. More than 12,000 people were granted L-1 visas in initial applications, and more than 98,000 people were issued H-2B visas.