
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.