The Garden State Immigration Policy Institute will host an online event on March 24 to discuss the future of the H-1B visa program. The H-1B program allows businesses to employ highly skilled foreign-born workers, mainly in technology, consulting, finance, and STEM research.
Julie Gelatt, Associate Director of the Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., will deliver opening remarks. Two panel discussions will follow, focusing on recent changes to the H-1B program and possible future directions.
Foreign-born H-1B visa holders temporarily address labor shortages in industries where there are not enough qualified U.S.-born workers. Employers seeking to hire through the H-1B program must show that hiring foreign workers will not negatively affect wages or working conditions for similarly employed U.S. workers.
Recent modifications to the H-1B program have affected smaller businesses by increasing the petition fee for employers to $100,000 per applicant. Another change replaced the random lottery selection with a wage-based system that favors higher-paid applicants. This adjustment is expected to benefit larger corporations that can offer higher salaries.
Registration for “The Future of H‑1B: Securing NJ’s High‑Skilled Workforce” is available online. The webinar will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24.
Speakers and panelists include Britta Glennon from Wharton School of Business; Neha Mahajan from the Asian Indian Chamber of Commerce; Patrick W. McGovern from Genova Burns; Kathleen Naasz from New Jersey Institute of Technology; Patrick Shen from U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Zuzana Čeplá Wootson from Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration; Eric Yun from Archer & Greiner, P.C.; Althea D. Ford, Vice President of Government Affairs at NJBIA; and Kyle Sullender from Healthcare Institute of New Jersey.
Both Ford and Sullender serve as members of the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Business Immigration Coalition.
The Garden State Immigration Policy Institute is a joint initiative between the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) and the New Jersey Business Immigration Coalition. The NJBIA is recognized as the nation’s largest statewide employer association representing employers across various sectors (source). It advances competitive excellence and financial success for its members while providing essential information and services (source). Michele Siekerka serves as president and chief executive officer (source). The association supports private-sector employers throughout New Jersey (source), facilitates partnerships among businesses, government entities, and academic institutions (source), and offers advocacy along with practical information to support business prosperity (source).
