Eliminating a provision that would have shifted verification of foreign educational degrees from the INS to the Department of State. The new version of H.R. 4227 still would require employers to show that they had raised the median salaries of American workers in the previous year. This provision would impose new paperwork burdens on businesses, and may subject all payroll records to DOL scrutiny. Eliminating the requirement that DOL issue final regulations from the 1998 law before any new visas. Eliminate a provision allowing employers to substitute work experience for the educational requirements needed to obtain an H-1B visa.
Employers everyday consider work experience in lieu of education in their hiring decisions.
Require H-1B recipients to work 35 hours a week. The Committee also approved two minor amendments to H.R. 4227. One, sponsored by Chairman Hyde, would eliminate teachers from the minimum salary levels for H-1B recipient. Specifically, H.R. 4420 would ensure that any programs funded by these fees are directly used to provide education and training in H-1B qualifying occupations. The bill also would forgive loans to math, science and technical education teachers.