US Companies Lay Off Over 40,000 Workers, Replace with H-1B Visa Holders: White House

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A major controversy has erupted in the United States over H-1B visas. The White House said on Saturday that many American companies laid off more than 40,000 American tech workers this year and replaced them with foreign workers, primarily H-1B visa holders.

US President Donald Trump's administration has clarified that the new fee of US$100,000 for H-1B visas is for new applicants and they must pay this fee in one lump sum. The White House explained the reason for this decision, citing the massive layoffs by US companies themselves and the replacement of American workers with foreign workers.

The White House said that one company received 5,189 H-1B visas and laid off 16,000 Americans. Another company received 1,698 H-1B visas and laid off 2,400 people. The White House said another company has already lost 27,000 American jobs by 2022. A fourth company laid off 1,000 people and replaced them with foreigners.

The White House says this step has been taken to secure the future of Americans. Companies were abusing the H-1B visa program, and it is necessary to curb this to prevent national security threats. The absence of fees on existing visa holders is a significant relief for thousands of professionals working in the US who are concerned about being affected by this new rule, a large number of whom are Indians.

"President Trump promised to prioritize American workers, and this wise move is a result of that," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said. "It also provides certainty to American businesses that truly want to bring highly skilled workers to our great country but are being held back by a flawed system."