US suspends visas for foreign workers until the end of 2020

US President Donald Trump has suspended visas for other foreign workers until the end of 2020.

As per the policy, high-skilled tech workers, non-agricultural seasonal helpers, au pairs, and top executives will be targeted.

The White House said the decision has been taken to create jobs for Americans who face financial crises due to coronavirus pandemic.

The administration said in a briefing that around 525,000 people will be affected by this program. This will include 170,000 people blocked by the measure to extend a ban on some new green cards. The White House had first announced that it was stopping those visas in April, an order that is likely to expire on Monday.

People already having existing visas are expected to be exempted from the new decision.

A senior official said that the objective is to get “the best and the brightest” and “the most value for our economy”.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said, “This is a bold move by the Trump administration to protect American jobs.”

However, the American Civil Liberties Union said: “It’s the exploitation of a pandemic to reshape immigration law while superseding Congress.”

Several businessmen also opposed the new decision.

The Chamber of Commerce wrote in a letter, “As the economy rebounds, American businesses will need assurances that they can meet all their workforce needs,”

“To that end, it is crucial that they have access to talent both domestically and from around the world.”