Trump has suspended the accelerated review program for the H1B program.
Short version of this is that for an additional $1,225.00, you can have your application reviewed in a guaranteed 15 days or less, rather than the could be as long as 6 months normal review.
The people who are most likely to use this are the Indian body shops who provide temps to tech firms:
The Trump administration’s decision to halt expedited processing of H-1B visas could abruptly disrupt the plans of thousands of immigrant workers in a range of businesses from technology to health care, immigration experts say.
H-1B visas allow employers to bring in skilled foreign workers; about 85,000 will be given out this year. The visas are in high demand and given out by lottery. It can take six months or longer for an application to be reviewed.
But the government announced Friday that, as of April 3, it will suspend the “premium processing” option, which ensures an application will be reviewed within 15 days. It costs $1,225.
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Neil Ruiz, executive director of the Center for Law, Economics and Finance at George Washington University, said the Trump administration’s decision to stop expedited processing could be the first step away from the lottery system.“I think that removing premium processing may allow the administration to pick who to prioritize in the wait times for H-1B visas,” Ruiz told CNNMoney.
Watson called the move a “big deal” because certain “employers and individuals require premium processing in certain situations.”
If the employees are truly essential and have a skill set unavailable in the United States, you can wait.
If you are looking for cheap labor, time is money, and you look elsewhere .
Good moments are going to be few and far between for the next few years, so I’ll take pleasure in small wins.