Grassley, Bipartisan Group of Colleagues Elicit USCIS Commitment to Address H-1B Abuse

WASHINGTON – In response to a recent bipartisan inquiry led by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) outlined steps it is taking to address abuses in the H-1B visa program, which has jeopardized jobs for American workers.

 

On March 29, Grassley, along with Senators Dick Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Sherrod Brown and Representatives Bill Pascrell, Paul Gosar and Dave Brat, sought answers about abuses in the H-1B employment visa programs highlighted in a 60 Minutes episode titled “You’re Fired.” The program featured instances of companies replacing American workers with cheaper foreign labor through the H-1B visa program, often requiring the American workers to train their foreign replacements.

“Congress created the H-1B program to help American companies fill labor gaps when there aren’t enough American workers. The egregious abuses of the H-1B program like those shown on ‘60 Minutes’ are inexcusable, and I look forward to the concrete actions USCIS alludes to in its response. We need to get this problem fixed soon so no more Americans are unfairly displaced because a company chooses to abuse this program,” Grassley said.

 

In its response, USCIS committed to addressing H-1B abuses through continued investigation, potential new regulations, and by promising to work with the group on legislative reform proposals. The agency also expressed its interest in continued work with the Senate Judiciary Committee to increase oversight of the beleaguered program.

 

Full text of the response from USCIS can be found here.

 

Earlier this year, Grassley and Durbin introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming the H-1B program to protect American workers, prevent abuse and ensure that limited visas are going to the most qualified foreign workers.

 

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