Trump suspends some foreign worker visas despite business opposition

Tuesday, 23 June 2020 08:48

The Trump administration has suspended some work visas for foreigners till the end of the year in a bid to revive a coronavirus-battered economy.

The order, signed by US President Donald Trump, will suspend H-1B visas for fields like technology and most H-2B visas for seasonal workers.

It will not affect applicants already in the US or those abroad who have already been issued a visa.

According to a senior administration official, the move, which kicks in on Wednesday, will open up 525,000 jobs for US workers.

However, major tech companies and the US Chamber of Commerce said it would stifle the economic recovery instead.

Some critics claim it is Trump' way of using the pandemic to push through his tough immigration plans ahead of the November elections.

More from International News

Trump touts $5,000 payout if Republicans win as Vance waits in wings

President Donald Trump capped the first day of his Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention by proposing to pay every US adult a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if his party wins November's congressional elections.
Search expands after Philippine ferry fire kills five and leaves dozens missing

A large-scale search and rescue operation was underway off the western Philippine island of Palawan on Thursday after a passenger ferry caught fire, killing five people and leaving dozens of passengers missing.
Trump says Iran war to end after US midterm elections

President Donald Trump said he expected the war with Iran to end after the November US midterm elections after the two sides launched their biggest wave of attacks on shipping since the start of the six-month-old war.
At least 20 killed in cargo vessel fire at China shipyard, state media reports

At least 20 people have been killed in a fire aboard a foreign cargo vessel undergoing repairs at a state-owned shipyard in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao on Thursday, state media reported, with five others still missing.
US military says it struck vessel in Caribbean, killing 3

The US military said on Wednesday three people have been killed in a strike on a vessel ‌in the Caribbean Sea, the latest in a series of attacks that Washington says target "narco-terrorists" but human rights groups condemn as extrajudicial killings.

UAE to invest 40 billion euros in Germany to deepen economic ties
The UAE has announced plans to invest 40 billion euros in Germany, targeting key sectors including industry, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and energy.
UAE President, German Chancellor reaffirm strategic partnership
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have discussed ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the UAE and Germany.
H.H. Sheikh Mohamed highlights UAE-Germany ties at Bundestag
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has visited the German Bundestag, the federal parliament, in Berlin, as part of his state visit to Germany.