New Republican Bill Could Impact Indian H-1B Workers And Students
WASHINGTON, DC -Indian professionals, students, and family-based immigrants could face sweeping new restrictions under a hardline immigration proposal introduced by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, including tougher H-1B visa rules, limits on work authorization for foreign students, and higher English requirements for citizenship.
The legislation would significantly affect Indian nationals, one of the largest groups of beneficiaries under employment-based immigration and H-1B visa programmes.
The 82-page proposal, titled the “American System for Sustainable Immigration and Mass Immigration Limitations Achieved Through Imposing Oversight Nationally Act,” or the “ASSIMILATION Act,” would fundamentally reshape large parts of the US immigration system.
According to the bill text, the legislation seeks to replace what it describes as “family-chain and lottery-based admissions” with a “merit-based system” prioritizing “economic self-sufficiency, cultural assimilation, and the protection of United States workers.”
Among the bill’s most consequential provisions are new H-1B restrictions. The measure would cut the annual H-1B cap to 50,000 visas and require employers to pay foreign workers at least “200 per cent of the median wage” for the relevant occupation and location.
The bill would also limit H-1B status to a single three-year term with no extensions or renewals. It further bars H-1B holders from adjusting to permanent residency unless they remain outside the United States for at least two continuous years after their visa expires.
Another major change targets foreign students. The proposal would eliminate Optional Practical Training (OPT), a widely used programme allowing international students to work in the US after graduation.
The bill would also abolish the diversity visa lottery programme entirely and sharply narrow family-sponsored immigration categories. Under the proposal, only spouses and unmarried children under 18 of US citizens would qualify as immediate relatives for immigration purposes.
Parents of US citizens would no longer qualify for permanent immigration status but could receive limited five-year nonimmigrant visas without access to employment or public benefits.
The legislation would further impose stricter naturalization standards, including raising the residency requirement for citizenship from five years to 10 years and requiring English proficiency at the B2 level under the Common European Framework.
Asylum rules would also tighten substantially. The bill would bar work authorization for asylum applicants solely on the basis of pending claims and establish a $500 asylum filing fee.
The proposal additionally mandates nationwide use of E-Verify for all new hires and creates new civil and criminal penalties for visa overstays.
In a statement accompanying the bill, Tuberville said, “I’m glad to see the Trump administration is working overtime to deport the millions of criminals who came here illegally during the Biden administration.”
“But we also need to remove the incentives that are encouraging people who hate this country to come here in the first place,” he added.
The Alabama senator further said, “Coming to this country is a privilege, not a right. If you hate this country and refuse to assimilate, we do not want you here.”
A companion legislation has also been introduced in the House by Republican Congressman Andy Ogles. (IANS)
