Craig Smith Discusses Impact of Foreign Worker Visa Limit on Tech Companies with Federal Contracts

August 5, 2020

Craig Smith, partner in Wiley’s Government Contracts and Employment & Labor practices, was quoted in an August 4 Law360 article on President Trump’s “Hire American” Executive Order, which seeks to assess federal contractors’ use of H-1B visas.

These visas allow businesses to bring in foreign workers with specialized knowledge when a U.S. national is unable to fill the role. Nearly all of the H-1B visas in the past year have been granted to technology or IT-related professional service firms, according to Law360.

“The government has historically struggled to attract innovative, truly commercial technology companies to sell to them,” Mr. Smith said. “If this turns out to be a clear signal that there’s going to be enhanced scrutiny or additional obligations or requirements for using temporary foreign labor, that might be just one more thing that discourages companies from being willing to do business with the government.”

To read the article, click here (subscription required).