Trump considers suspending H-1B, other work visas amid massive unemployment

US President Donald Trump is considering suspending a number of employment visas including the H-1B in view of the massive unemployment in America due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The proposed suspension could extend into the government's new fiscal year beginning October 1, when many new visas are issued, reports NDTV citing The Wall Street Journal.

"That could bar any new H-1B holder outside the country from coming to work until the suspension is lifted, though visa holders already in the country are unlikely to be affected," the daily reported.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ graduate level workers in specific occupations that require expertise in specialised fields such as IT, finance, accounting, architecture, engineering, mathematics, science, medicine, etc.

The White House, however, said that no final decision has been made and the administration is considering various proposals.

"The administration is currently evaluating a wide range of options, formulated by career experts, to protect American workers and job seekers especially disadvantaged and underserved citizens - but no decisions of any kind have been made," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

In addition to the H-1B visas, the suspension could apply to the H-2B visa for short-term seasonal workers, the J-1 visa for short-term workers including camp counselors and au pairs and the L-1 visa for internal company transfers, the financial daily reported.

Meanwhile, the US Chambers of Commerce CEO Thomas Donohue on Thursday wrote a letter to Trump, expressing concern over his reported move on temporary work visas.

"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," Donohue wrote in a letter to Trump.

According to The Hill newspaper, Donohue said that American businesses need L-1 visa holders, who have a work visa valid for a relatively short amount of time, for necessary expertise.

He noted the importance of H-1B visa holders, who have a work visa valid for multiple years, for various industries, including technology, accounting and manufacturers, the newspaper said.

"Policies that would, for example, impose wide-ranging bans on the entry of nonimmigrant workers or impose burdensome new regulatory requirements on businesses that employ foreign nationals would undermine that access to talent and in the process, undercut our economy''s ability to grow and create jobs," Donohue added.