H-1B visa update: What is Project Firewall? How will this ‘America-first’ policy impact Indians with US work permit?
Project Firewall, an initiative by the US Department of Labour, aims to safeguard the rights and jobs of American workers in the H-1B visa process. Employers will be held accountable in case the H-1B visa process is abused.
The US Department of Labor on Friday announced the launch of Project Firewall, an H-1B enforcement initiative that aims to protect the rights, wages, and jobs of skilled American workers. The announcement came the same day President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee for H-1B applications.
What is Project Firewall?
Under Project Firewall, employers must prioritise qualified Americans when hiring and will be held accountable if they abuse H-1B visa process.
US Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said, “The Trump Administration is standing by our commitment to end practices that leave Americans in the dust. As we reestablish economic dominance, we must protect our most valuable resource: the American worker. Launching Project Firewall will help us ensure no employers are abusing H-1B visas at the expense of our workforce.”
“By rooting out fraud and abuse, the Department of Labor and our federal partners will ensure that highly skilled jobs go to Americans first.”
Five things to know about Project Firewall:
- The Department of Labor will conduct investigations to ensure employers follow H-1B rules. The secretary of labor will be personally involved in approving these investigations.
- The secretary of labor will personally certify the initiation of investigations – a first for the department.
- This action leverages existing authority that the secretary has to take action if reasonable cause exists that an H-1B employer is not in compliance, as per the Department of Labor.
- Violations may result in collection of back wages owed to workers who were affected.
- There might also be an assessment of civil money penalties, and/or debarment from using the H-1B program for a prescribed amount of time.
How will Project Firewall impact Indians?
The stricter laws will surely affect Indian and other foreign nationals who are in the United States on H1-B visas or are applying for them, but the full extent of the impact is still unclear.
India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved beneficiaries, while China was a distant second at 11.7%, according to government data.