Donald Trump promises changes to H1-B temporary visas for skilled workers – including potential citizenship
- US president tweets that ‘changes are soon coming’ to the H-1B temporary worker scheme
- The scheme’s intake is dominated by Indians and Chinese workers
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he is planning changes including a possible pathway to US citizenship to foreigners holding H-1B visas, which are issued temporarily to highly educated immigrants who work in speciality occupations such as technology or medicine.
“H1-B holders in the United States can rest assured that changes are soon coming which will bring both simplicity and certainty to your stay, including a potential path to citizenship,” Trump said in a Twitter post.
The Republican president has often said he wanted an immigration system that favoured educated or highly skilled people. The White House did not immediately comment on what kind of changes Trump was considering.
Trump and Democrats in the US Congress are at an impasse over spending legislation to fund the federal government.
Trump has refused to sign on to a bill unless it includes US$5.6 billion to build a wall along the country’s southern border to prevent illegal immigration by migrants.
Democrats say the wall project, which carries a total price tag of more than US$20 billion, is expensive, ineffective and immoral. The dispute has led to a partial shutdown of the US government that is now in its 21st day.