US Chambers Address Workforce Shortage and H-1B Quota

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The US Chambers of Commerce is enacting a massive effort to support business. There is an acute shortage of skilled and professional workers in the US. As such, doubling the H-1B visa quota and eliminating the per-country quota for Green Card holders are being pursued by the Chambers.

The highly sought-after non-immigrant H-1B visa supports foreign workers in specialty occupations to work in the US. The demand to increase the H-1B quote from the current 65,000 annually is part of the America Works campaign. There are an additional 20,000 H-1B visas available for those who have higher studies.

A worker shortage is holding back companies across the US.

Through the America Works program, the US Chamber highlights specific requests, including:

• Double the cap on H-1B employment-based visas
• Double the quota on H-1B and H-2B visas
• Growth in federal investment for employer-led job education and training programs
• Expanding childcare for working parents

The program asks for support to train workers in the skills needed by US companies to help fill high-demand jobs locally as well as internationally.

The Chamber asks to double the cap on all employment-based immigrant visas from 140,000/year to 280,000/year. By eliminating the practice of counting spouses and minor children under the Green Card annual quota, the number of employment-based immigrant workers could nearly double.

The program also asks the Biden administration to give international students who graduate from US universities more opportunities to get employment-based green cards. Additionally, they ask for more options for entrepreneurs to gain permanent residency so they can grow their businesses in the US.

As possible on a safe level, the US Chambers is also asking the administration to reinstate routine visa processing at consulates around the world.

It also seeks to expand access to H-2A agricultural worker visas for non-seasonal agricultural businesses to ensure the future success of these businesses.

As always, ILBSG continues to monitor developments around employment-based visas and all immigration topics. If you have questions, contact us at ILBSG. We are here to help ensure you get the right advice.

Originally published here!