3 weeks ago
US senator seeks tougher H-1B green card recruitment rules
Some people from other countries come to work in America on special work permits called H-1B visas.
A senator named Eric Schmitt thinks some companies use these permits in a way that is not fair to American workers.
He believes companies sometimes hire cheaper workers from other countries instead of giving jobs to Americans.
So he wrote a letter asking the government to change some rules.
The rules are about something called PERM, which is the first step to helping a foreign worker stay forever with a green card.
He wants companies to post these jobs online where Americans can find them.
He also wants companies to write down every American who applies and explain why they were not chosen.
Many Indian workers use this path, so these changes could make it harder and slower for them.
The letter alone does not change any rules, the Department of Labor has to decide what to do.
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri asked the Department of Labor to modernise the PERM green-card sponsorship process.
Indians accounted for 70 per cent of all approved H-1B petitions in fiscal 2025, according to USCIS.
Schmitt proposes requiring employers to post every PERM position online and document all American applicants and rejections.
The senator says recruitment rules, unchanged for over 20 years, let employers conceal jobs from American workers.
The letter does not mention India and does not itself change H-1B or permanent residency rules.
- Who
- Republican US Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri, who wrote to Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling; the proposal would affect foreign workers such as Indian technology professionals.
- What
- A letter asking the Department of Labor to modernise the PERM process with tougher recruitment and documentation rules for employers sponsoring foreign workers for green cards.
- Where
- United States, from Washington-based federal policymaking affecting employers and workers nationwide.
- When
- The article cites US Citizenship and Immigration Services data for fiscal 2025; the letter's exact date is not specified.
- Why
- Schmitt argues that abuse of the PERM and H-1B programs lets corporations replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor.
Key facts
- Senator
- Eric Schmitt (Republican, Missouri)
- Addressee
- Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling
- Targeted program
- PERM (Program Electronic Review Management) for employment-based green cards
- Indian share of approved H-1B petitions (FY 2025)
- 70 per cent
- Proposed recruitment rule
- Post every PERM position on the employer's careers page and at least one widely used online employment platform
- Current rule age
- Not substantially updated in more than 20 years
- Immediate effect
- No cancellation of visas, applications or existing immigration status
Quotes
Senator Eric Schmitt
U.S. Senator from Missouri
“"The current requirement permits cursory, pro forma consideration of American applicants," Schmitt wrote. "The Department should replace it with a process that gives displaced American workers a genuine opportunity to compete for the job."”
thehansindia.com
“"Given dramatically reduced newspaper circulation and the prevalence of online job applications, these outdated rules let employers conceal jobs from American workers while claiming they tried to recruit domestically."”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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