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Trump Admin Takes First Steps To Overhaul H-1B Visa That Tech Companies Use To Hire Internationally (geekwire.com)
President Donald Trump's immigration authorities are moving to enact broad changes to a visa that allows American companies to bring international workers to the country. From a report: On Friday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Homeland Security released a proposed rule that takes the first steps toward overhauling the H-1B visa. The new rule would prioritize applications for workers with advanced degrees from American universities. The policy would also change the application process companies go through when they want to secure H-1B visas for foreign talent. Instead of completing a petition for the new employee, companies would register for free online to enter what's been described as the "H-1B lottery." Immigration law caps the number of regular H-1B visas that can be awarded each year at 65,000. An additional 20,000 may be awarded to workers with master's degrees and PhDs. Under the new system, USCIS would review all applications, including those for workers with advanced degrees, during a registration period before the actual petitions are filed.
Well, software engineering isn't really something that you have to be on site for. If tech companies are restricted from hiring the staff they need and can't otherwise fill the positions then they'll move their headquarters overseas. In other words, restricting these visas will have the same net effect as Trump's tariffs. Some jobs will indeed go to American workers like the 600 steel workers being hired for a new plant. But that isn't going to outweigh the number of jobs lost as companies move overseas. Ex: GM closing 5 plants and cutting 15,000 jobs.
Side note: watch how Mar-a-lago either gets an exemption from any restrictions on hiring foreign workers or how no changes are made to the H1-A visa program.