The US government has proposed a significant increase in the minimum wages for foreign workers under the H-1B visa program, aiming to protect American workers.
The proposed rule seeks to raise minimum wages across four categories by around 30% over previously fixed limits.
Under the current system, prevailing wages stand at $73,279 per year for entry-level workers, $98,987 for Level II, $121,979 for Level III, and $144,202 for Level IV.
The new wages would push these figures significantly higher, with entry-level salaries rising to $97,746, a jump of 33.39%, and Level IV wages climbing to $175,464, an increase of 21.68%.
The changes would apply to the H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, and PERM labor certification programs.
The administration's core argument is that the existing wage levels were set 20 years ago and have not been revised since, allowing employers to legally pay foreign workers significantly less than their American counterparts.
The proposal has received a divided response, with supporters seeing it as a necessary correction to wage floors and critics warning that smaller companies may no longer be able to afford foreign hires for entry-level positions.
