Need to probe laying off of US workers for Indians with H1-B visas : US homeland secy

Washington: Amid reports that entertainment giant Walt Disney has laid off American employees and replaced them with Indians holding H1-B visas, US Homeland Security Secretary Jeb Johnson has told lawmakers that any such allegations are very troubling and should be investigated. [caption id=“attachment_2343398” align=“alignleft” width=“226” class=" “]  Jeb Johnson- Image courtesy- US Department of Homeland Security website- http://www.dhs.gov/[/caption] “Through the H-1B programme, those who hold visas are not supposed to replace Americans with jobs. Any such allegations are very troubling to me. I believe that such matters should be investigated,” Johnson told lawmakers during a Congressional  hearing. H-1B visas are visas issued by the United States to foreigners to allow them to be employed in certain particular occupations. Responding to a question on this issue, Johnson sought the help of the Congress in this regard. “I think that Congress can help through increased enforcement mechanisms for situations where an employer does in fact, replace American workers with H-1B holders. That is the recommendation that is made to me and I support that,” Johnson said. Earlier, Congressman Jerrold Nadler referred to the recent stories about the Disney company and others laying off hundreds of their own American employees who are then forced to train foreigners who came here on H-1B visas to replace them. “Now, if that is true, that is a very serious failing of the H-1B programme, and it being used to displace American workers rather than to supply for people slots that American workers can’t fill,” he said. PTI