美國總統(tǒng)特朗普近日造訪了威斯康星州的一家工具工廠，同時也接見了那些幫助他贏得大選的藍領(lǐng)工人。在此行期間，特朗普還將預(yù)計簽署一項被他的執(zhí)政團隊稱為“買美國貨，用美國人”的行政法令。

根據(jù)兩名白宮高級官員上周一發(fā)布的一份簡報，作為貫徹落實特朗普總統(tǒng)“用美國人”政策的一部分，該行政令特別指示各聯(lián)邦機構(gòu)要“嚴(yán)肅處理移民系統(tǒng)的欺詐和濫用行為”，同時要求美國國務(wù)院及勞工部、司法部、國土安全部啟動對外籍員工H-1B簽證政策的改革。

特朗普在大選期間就曾經(jīng)拉被裁員的IT業(yè)員工給自己壯聲勢，并呼吁廢止H-1B簽證項目。他起初曾表示，H-1B簽證對美國工人簡直是一種“屠殺”，并且會降低美國工人的工資。但他后來在這個問題上的態(tài)度突然發(fā)生了軟化。本月早些時候，美國政府再次開放了H-1B簽證的申請，今年的85,000個配額也未受特朗普政府的干擾。

什么是H-1B簽證？

H-1B簽證允許美國企業(yè)短期雇傭外籍工人從事科學(xué)、工程、信息技術(shù)等領(lǐng)域的專業(yè)性崗位。所聘請的外籍工人通常需具備高度專業(yè)化的知識，并且至少要具備相關(guān)專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的學(xué)士以上學(xué)位。H-1B簽證允許外籍工人一次性居留三年。

H-1B簽證在硅谷使用得很廣，特別是在以塔塔（Tata）、印孚瑟斯（Infosys）和高知特（Cognizant）等為代表的外包型公司。這些公司每年付給持H-1B簽證的外籍員工的薪水大約在65,000至70,000美元之間，而谷歌和微軟這種企業(yè)更是能給出10萬美元以上的高薪。幾乎70%的H-1B簽證的持有者都是印度人。

每年，美國政府都會向外國人發(fā)放85,000份H-1B簽證，其中有2萬份是專門發(fā)給碩士學(xué)歷以上人群的。H-1B簽證主要通過隨機抽簽的形式發(fā)放。

由于H-1B簽證非常有含金量，一般美國政府的申請窗口剛剛打開幾天，申請的人數(shù)就超過了上限。今年《紐約時報》還專門報道了簽證申請如潮涌入的盛況。申請窗口打開不到四天，美國公民及移民服務(wù)局（USCIS）就達到了申請上限。

特朗普的“用美國人”行政令對H-1B簽證項目有何影響？

簡而言之，至少在短期內(nèi)不會有什么影響。特朗普的“買美國貨，用美國人”行政令預(yù)計并不會在短期內(nèi)改革H-1B簽證項目，不過它的確已經(jīng)敦促四家聯(lián)邦機構(gòu)提出改革方案。

白宮的一位高級官員本周一表示，美國政府的目標(biāo)是最終改革H-1B簽證的抽簽制度，因為該制度過于向低薪工人傾斜。改革后的制度將更傾向于高技能的高薪人才——如具備碩士學(xué)歷以上者。

他表示：“我們要對這些簽證的發(fā)放建立一個全新的架構(gòu)。我的意思是，它將是H-1B項目的徹底轉(zhuǎn)型?！?/p>

其它可能的改革措施還包括提高該簽證的手續(xù)費等。

該白宮官員還指出，有關(guān)機構(gòu)將根據(jù)正式流程制定相關(guān)規(guī)則，或則將采取必要的立法措施以對該項目進行改革。

今年1月，H-1B簽證的改革事宜的確曾被提到美國國會討論。然而自從1月13日以來，它仍然被擱置在國會下屬的一個移民委員會，目前仍未有任何動向。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：樸成奎

President Trump heads to Wisconsin this afternoon to pay a visit to a tool factory and the blue collar workers who helped win him the election. During the trip, he’s expected to sign what his aides are calling a “Buy American, Hire American” executive order.

According to a briefing by two senior White House officials Monday, The “Hire American” part specifically directs federal agencies to “crack down on fraud and abuse” in the immigration system. It also calls for the Departments of Labor, Justice, Homeland Security, and State to suggest reforms to the H-1B visa program for foreign workers.

The move comes after Trump, as a candidate, paraded laid-off IT workers onstage and called for the end of the H-1B visa program. He at first said the visas “decimate” American workers and depress U.S. wages, but later seemed to flip-flop on the issue. The government opened up applications for H-1B visas earlier this month, with allocations for 85,000 visas untouched by Trump.

What’s an H-1B visa?

The visa allows companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations including fields like science, engineering, and information technology. Workers are usually required to have highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specialty or its equivalent. The visas last for three years at a time.

They’re widely used in Silicon Valley, whose largest employers include outsourcing firms like Tata, Infosys, and Cognizant. According to Bloomberg, these companies tend to pay H-1B workers $65,000 to $75,000 a year, far less than the $100,000 or more at Google and Microsoft. Nearly 70% of all H-1B visas go to Indian workers.

Each year, a total of 85,000 H-1B visas are granted to foreign workers, with 20,000 earmarked for those with master’s degrees or higher. The visas are distributed through a random lottery.

Demand for the visas is so high, the U.S. government often reaches its cap within mere days of opening up the application window. This year, the New York Times documented how applications arrived by the truckload. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services met its cap on visas within just four days.

How will Trump's "Hire American" executive order change the program?

In short, it won't ... at least not yet. The president’s “Buy American, Hire American” executive order is not expected to change the H-1B program immediately, but it does direct four federal agencies to propose reforms.

A senior administration official, who briefed reporters on the directive Monday, said the goal is to eventually switch away from a random lottery system for H-1B visas, which is weighted toward low-wage workers, toward a system that favors higher-skilled, higher-paid workers, like those with master’s degrees.

“You're creating an entirely new structure for awarding these visas. I mean, it is a completely -- it is a total transformation of the H-1B program,” he said.

Other possible reforms include raising fees for the visas.

The White House official also noted that ultimately, agencies will have to follow the official rulemaking process, or legislative action will be required to change the program.

Although Congress did introduce an H-1B reform bill in January, it has sat untouched in an immigration subcommittee since Jan. 13.