The US is working to temporarily ban the issuance of some work-based visas like H-1B, popular among highly-skilled Indian IT professionals, as well as student visas and work authorisation that accompanies them, amid the high level of unemployment due to the coronavirus, according to a media report on Friday. Nearly 500,000 migrant workers are employed in the US in the H-1B status. "The president’s immigration advisers are drawing up plans for a coming executive order, expected this month, that would ban the issuance of some new temporary, work-based visas," The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Last month, President Donald Trump had signed an executive order temporarily barring new immigrants for 60 days, including family members of US citizens. “The coming changes, the administration has suggested, will build on this April action,” The Wall Street Journal said.

Source: Wall Street Journal May 09, 2020 02:37 UTC