On Tuesday, April 18, 2017, President Donald Trump signed a new Executive Order, “Buy American and Hire American.” The new Order states that its first purposes is to focus on conducting studies and putting forth plans for federal agencies to immediately maximize the use and procurement of materials and products made in the U.S. (“Buy American”).

The second stated purpose of the Order focuses on a review of current immigration policies and regulations, specifically at H-1B visa program, and non-immigrant visa categories (for skilled foreign national workers) (“Hire American”).

The Order also directs government agencies to tighten up on visa fraud and abuse in the particulate with the H-1B visa program. The Order also directs that the government will fully prioritize the use of American companies and goods in federal projects.

The government has reported that 199,000 H-1B applications were submitted for the 2018 fiscal year, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, compared with the 236,000 H-1B cap petitions filed during the prior year.

In an interview earlier today with Snap On’s CEO, Nicholas Pinchuk, who said in a statement “The upskilling of the American workforce is the seminal issue of our time. We must refocus on technical education, restore our respect for the dignity of work, and celebrate technical jobs not as the consolation prize of our society, but as what they really are — a national calling essential to our ongoing prosperity.”

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Alka Bahal is a Partner and the Co-Chair of the Corporate Immigration Practice of Fox Rothschild LLP. Alka is situated in Fox Rothschild’s Roseland, New Jersey office though she practices throughout the United States and at Consulates worldwide. You can reach Alka at (973) 994-7800, or abahal@foxrothschild.com.