Washington:
A group of US lawmakers has reintroduced legislation in the House of Representatives to get rid of a programme which permits foreign students to remain in the nation for work just after the completion of their research below specific situations.
Congressman Paul A Gosar along with Congressman Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs, and Matt Gaetz introduced the Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act, a legislation that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act on the Optional Practice Training (OPT).
“What country creates a programme, but not a law, that rewards its businesses to fire citizen workers and replace them with foreign labour to pay the foreign labour less? The United States. The programme is called OPT and it reflects a complete abandonment of our own workers,” Paul A Gosar mentioned.
He very first introduced the Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act in the 116th Congress and has twice signed amicus briefs in assistance of American workers in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to get rid of the OPT.
The OPT is a guest worker programme administered by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Paul A Gosar alleges that the OPT circumvents the H-1B cap by permitting more than one hundred,000 aliens admitted as foreign students to work for up to 3 years in the US just after graduation.
These foreign workers are exempt from payroll taxes, creating them at least 10-15 per cent less expensive than a comparable American worker, he argued.
“Landing that first job out of college will only become more difficult for young Americans as our universities formalise the role they play in crowding out opportunities once reserved for American graduates. For this reason, the OPT must be eliminated,” stated Kevin Lynn, Founder of US Techworkers.
The OPT openly undercuts American workers, especially greater-skilled workers and current college graduates, by providing employers an actual tax incentive to employ compliant, economical foreign labour below the guise of “student training,” mentioned Rosemary Jenks, Director of Government Relations, NumbersUSA.