HR Groups Say Proposed H-1B Overhaul Would Hurt Smaller Members

The Trump administration’s proposed wage-based lottery for foreign worker visas has gotten the attention of human resources organizations, which say the plan would jeopardize small and medium-size companies and drive global talent elsewhere.

Employers are already dealing with a shortage of highly skilled workers, the Society for Human Resource Management said in recent public comments to the Department of Homeland Security. That includes smaller operations, it says, with 60% of SHRM members who use the H-1B visa program having fewer than 500 employees.

The technology industry has grabbed headlines as the most likely victim of H-1B restrictions. But it’s not ...