April 20 Buy American and Hire American Executive Order

On April 18^th, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO): Buy American and Hire American, targeting the H-1B visa program. The EO is meant to curtail perceived program abuses that involve the alleged use of lower-skilled and lower wage workers to replay U.S. workers in the job market. Below are some important points to keep in mind about what the EO contains:

•  The order states broad policy directives to various government agencies. It does not set  forth specific ideas or proposed actions to further the policy.
•  It calls on the Secretary of State, Labor, and Homeland Security, and the Attorney General to “propose new rules and issue new guidance to supersede or revise previous rules and guidance if appropriate.”
• The agencies are directed to suggest reforms to help ensure that H-1B visas are awarded to the most skilled or highest-paid petition beneficiaries. This means there might be a change in administration of the annual H-1B quota to favor petitions that offer the highest salaries or are filed for those with advanced degrees.

We would like to highlight again that the order does not contain any specific changes yet, but as we get more information, we will keep you updated. Be sure to regularly check the blog. OISS will continue working with our campus partners, legal counsel, and professional associations to assess information related to any immigration policy changes that could potentially take place.