Donald Trump’s crackdown on H1-B visa professionals is based on incorrect data

A US-based think tank has claimed US President Donald Trump’s H1-B visa diktat is based on incorrect data and majority of H1-B professionals were paid less.

An official from Trump’s administration stated nearly 80% of H-1B workers were paid less than the median wage in the sector.

A study by National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) claimed there were few low-paid H-1B workers, which contradicts with US government data, which counted more low-paid H1B visa workers than there actually are.

The study said foreigners on H-1B visa who are paid less-than-median American salary provide cost advantage to employers who do not prefer American workers for same jobs. This leads to Americans losing their jobs to foreigners.

"This statistic is misleading as it relies on a Department of Labor database that includes multiple applications for the same individuals since a new filing is generally required when an H-1B professional moves to a new area," the study said.

"The wages listed in the DOL database are generally only the minimum that a company is required to pay under the law. Employers are required to pay the higher of the prevailing wage or actual wage paid to all other individuals with similar experience and qualifications for the specific employment in question. That means wages listed in the DOL database typically understate an individual H-1B visa holder's actual salary," says the study.