Trump may soon sign executive order re-vamping H-1B visa program

Enlarge / U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on January 30. He may soon be signing one related to H-1B visas. (credit: Andrew Harrer - Pool/Getty Images)

The Trump administration has drafted an executive order that would change the way H-1B visas are used. H-1Bs are widely used in the tech industry to hire foreign workers.

“Our country’s immigration policies should be designed and implemented to serve, first and foremost, the U.S. national interest,” the draft reads, according to Bloomberg, which has viewed the copy and first reported on the matter. “Visa programs for foreign workers... should be administered in a manner that protects the civil rights of American workers and current lawful residents, and that prioritizes the protection of American workers—our forgotten working people—and the jobs they hold.”

Businesses would have to try to hire American first. If they recruit foreign workers, priority would be given to the most highly paid, according to the Bloomberg report.