American Tech Workforce Act; Your dream of studying in America in danger

• Republican Congressman Jim Banks has introduced the new American Tech Workforce Act of 2021 Bill in the US House of Representatives.

• The bill proposes strict H-1B visa norms thereby making the entry of foreign students into the country extremely tough.

• The bill seeks the elimination of Optional Practical Training (OPT) which allows foreign with student visas to work in the US for up to 3 years if they have STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) qualifications. As a result, a foreign student would not be allowed to gain experience.

• The bill introduces a wage floor compensation for H-1B visa recipients. As per the bill, an American company would have to pay more to a foreign student in comparison to a local student working at the same position.

• The bill also seeks to decrease the period of H-1B visas sponsored by third-party companies to one year from 3 years currently.