United States, 6th June: Walt Disney has laid off 250 people and hired H-1B visa workers.
Yes, that’s true. 250 Walt Disney workers have been replaced by US H-1B visa workers.
<blockquote> Walt Disney has laid off its 250 employees by replacing them with US H-1B visa workers. </blockquote>
Enquiry sought into Temporary visa program—Meanwhile, an inquiry has been sought by the Senator Bill Nelson of Florida into the Temporary visa program meant for allowing high skilled immigrants to come and work in the US for a temporary period of time.
As per the details, Nelson, a Democrat, has asked the US Department of Homeland Security, to probe the working of the temporary visa program.
Jobs of Walt Disney World, Orlando, employees were lost to high skilled immigrants. So, the firm had to train their replacements, it is being alleged.
It has been maintained that the potential misuse of the US H-1B visa program needs to be probed. Some of the laid-off employees of Walt Disney Orlando were asked to offer training to immigrants for doing their jobs.
Mr. Nelson has written that the program is aimed to fill jobs in the US in case of labor shortages and not by any means to snatch the jobs of anyone. There were no comments on the issue by the Walt Disney company.
US H-1B visa program—The US H-1B visa program offers a limited number of temporary visas to foreigners each year. Each year, a total of 85,000 US H-1B visas are offered to foreigners having computer, engineering or other such high skills for filling US jobs in US firms.
However, it is necessary that in case no suitable American is available for the jobs, only then can the high skilled immigrants be hired for the available US jobs.
The US H-1B visa program is being used by outsourcing firms to hire immigrants for doing the work of Americans for less wages. This has invited widespread criticism. It is being argued whether the US is using the US H-1B visa program for complementing American workers or for displacing them.