Paul A Gosar, a Congressman in the United States has foreign students (studying in the US) in his sights. Currently many of the international students studying in the US are eligible to stay on in the US after completing their studies under a program administered by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The program is called Optional Practice Training (OPT), giving international students the option to stay on.
Paul Gosar alleges that the OPT (Optional Practice Training) circumvents H-1B cap by allowing over 1,00,000 aliens admitted as foreign students to work for up to three years in the US after graduation
Joined by Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs and Matt Gaetz introduced, Paul Gosar has introduced a legislation in the House of Representatives to eliminate a programme through the Bill which they are calling Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act, a legislation that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act on the Optional Practice Training (OPT).
“What country creates a programme, but not a law, that rewards its businesses to fire citizen workers and replace them with foreign labour to pay the foreign labour less? The United States. The programme is called OPT and it reflects a complete abandonment of our own workers,” Gosar said.
There are about 80,000 Indian students in the US on OPT and if the Bill gets up, they will have to find other ways to stay on in the US.
Kamala Harris calls her bill the “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act.” In contrast, my bill is called the “Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act.”
Here's why ↓
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) July 1, 2019
According to Paul and his comrades, working under the OPT program, these foreign workers are exempt from payroll taxes. Paul says that makes them at least 10-15 per cent cheaper than a comparable American worker which is unfair on the average American.
Also read: Biden’s Immigration Reform Push faces speed humps
“Landing that first job out of college will only become more difficult for young Americans as our universities formalise the role they play in crowding out opportunities once reserved for American graduates. For this reason, the OPT must be eliminated,” stated Kevin Lynn, Founder of US Techworkers.
Proponents and supporters of Paul Gosar’s argument say the OPT openly undercuts American workers, particularly higher-skilled workers and recent college graduates. The OPT gives employers an actual tax incentive to hire compliant, inexpensive foreign labour under the guise of “student training,”, they argue.
Paul A Gosar and his mates will have the OPT program eliminated through this bill which will amend the Immigration and Nationality Act on the Optional Practice Training (OPT).
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