US Visa Restrictions Will Not Increase Employment

The Trump administration has halted the issuance of certain work visas with the aim of securing employment for American citizens.

This selfish measure based on Donald Trump’s “America First” policy only hurts the national interest, and the administration should immediately rethink this policy.

The government stopped issuing visas on June 24. Visa categories affected include H-1B (for highly skilled specialties such as in information technology and engineering), L (for intracompany transfers) and J (for researchers and research students). This policy is in effect until the end of the year and may be renewed as needed.

In the U.S., many people have lost their jobs due to the spread of COVID-19, and many citizens are feeling increasingly frustrated.

In April, President Trump halted the admission of foreigners seeking green cards or permanent residency. This, combined with the new visa suspensions, are being touted as necessary for creating approximately 520,000 jobs.

Maybe Trump is just looking to appeal to his supporters in the November election, but these measures don’t necessarily mean employment will increase as expected.

H-1B visas target many software technicians, and require high levels of skill. It will be difficult to replace those who lost their jobs quickly. Multinational companies manage human resources with consideration of global conditions, and are unlikely to replace expatriates with local workers.

It’s difficult to imaging that the job situation will recover if Trump suspends visas without grasping this reality.

Actually, there is great concern that this will hinder the technological revolution and competition for American companies.

Talented foreign specialists have made contributions to the American IT giants that make up Big Tech. Apple CEO Tim Cook has declared that he is “deeply disappointed,” as immigrants are essential to prosperity.

It’s not just the IT industry. The National Association of Manufacturers has also criticized the measure as being detrimental to growth and one that robs the country of opportunities to create more jobs. Trump should seriously listen to what these companies have to say.

The measure also impacts Japanese businesses. The Japan External Trade Organization conducted a survey of 961 companies and found that 308 companies believe their future overseas postings will be hindered, affecting more than 1,400 employees.

There have been reports that detail cases where businesses have stalled because they couldn’t assign personnel to start production lines or had to postpone sending young technicians abroad.

At least one company in the automotive industry has had difficulty with quality control because local employees alone could not communicate effectively with their Japanese customers.

Many Japanese businesses have contributed to America’s economic development and created jobs. The government must point that out and strongly push for a review of the visa policy.