Expressing issue over large-scale layoffs withinside the tech industry, a collection of lawmakers from the Silicon Valley have written to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to make sure high-professional immigrants can continue to be withinside the us of a even after dropping their jobs.
This organization of immigrants possesses abilities which are especially precious in today`s knowledge-primarily based totally economic system and “forcing them to go away the United States is dangerous to our nation’s lengthy-time period monetary competitiveness”, they stated of their letter to USCIS Director Ur Jaddou.
The letter has been despatched with the aid of using Congressmen Zoe Lofgren, Ro Khanna, Jimmy Panetta and Kevin Mullin. Lofgren has been a former Chair of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
“This problem is of extremely good significance to our parts due to the fact layoffs withinside the tech zone have expanded in latest months. The quantity of tech jobs misplaced when you consider that the start of 2023 has already exceeded the overall quantity of layoffs in 2022,” the letter stated
It additionally requests that the USCIS launch facts detailing the effect of the layoffs on affected immigrants; inquire approximately whether or not the USCIS has issued steering to adjudicators in reaction to the layoffs; and increase the 60-day grace duration for laid-off H-1B holders to stable a brand new activity earlier than dropping their felony fame.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that permits US corporations to hire overseas people in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
The lawmakers requested the USCIS director to offer info of about what number of H-1B visa holders have effectively maintained felony fame after dropping their jobs and what number of have departed the us of a or gathered illegal presence.
“We ask which you percentage any applicable facts with us so we are able to higher recognize the effect of the layoffs,” in step with the letter.
“What are the approval and denial rates, damaged down with the aid of using visa category, for newly unemployed H-1B holders who’ve implemented for the nonimmigrant visas indexed withinside the December nineteenth USCIS truth sheet? Considering unemployed H-1B holders handiest have a restricted 60-day window to stable a brand new visa, we request which you launch this facts publicly so those people could make knowledgeable selections approximately which visas to use for,” it stated.
The lawmakers requested about how lengthy it takes for the USCIS to method visa packages submitted with the aid of using newly unemployed H-1B holders.
“While people are legally allowed to stay withinside the US as their visa packages are pending, we`re worried approximately the capacity effects of processing instances that exceed the 60-day grace duration,” the lawmaker stated of their letter.
In such cases, immigrants could be required to go away the us of a right now if their visa packages are denied, they stated.
“This scenario now no longer handiest reasons great misery for the affected people however may also bring about them accruing illegal presence if it takes an prolonged time frame to get their affairs so as earlier than departing the us of a. This may be held towards them in the event that they practice for a visa withinside the future,” the lawmakers wrote.
The Congressmen requested are newly unemployed H-1B holders penalised while making use of for B-1/B-2 traveler visas?
“Because B-1/B-2 visas are meant for short-time period visits to the United States, we’re worried that adjudicators will deny visas to laid-off H-1B holders, lots of whom have lived withinside the U.S. for years, considering the fact that those people do now no longer have enough ties to their domestic nations to illustrate that they intend to go away the United States as soon as their visas expire,” they stated.