H-1B Visa Holders Should Not Replace American Workers, USCIS Director Says

Francis Cissna, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, talks about the agency's challenges at the National Press Club in Washington on Aug. 15, 2018. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

WASHINGTON—Although not much tinkering can be done without Congress, the head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said issues surrounding visas such as the H-1B need to be addressed, but without causing harm to American workers.

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows foreigners to work in the United States for three years, with options to renew it. Silicon Valley companies are the heaviest users of the H-1B visa, bringing in workers largely from India.