Hillary's Stance on H-1B Visa & Green-Card Backlog

Hillary Clinton, during her 2016 presidential campaign and in her past policy statements, expressed strong support for improving the U.S. immigration system, particularly for high-skilled immigrants. Here are her key stances:

1. H-1B Visa Support: Clinton supported expanding the H-1B visa program to allow more highly skilled workers to come to the U.S. She acknowledged the importance of H-1B workers, particularly in industries like technology and healthcare, to address the U.S.'s talent needs. However, she also emphasized the need for reform to prevent abuse of the system, such as replacing American workers with cheaper foreign labor. Clinton advocated for ensuring that H-1B workers are paid fairly, advocating for wage-based protections to avoid undermining U.S. workers' pay.

2. Green Card Backlog: Clinton was aware of the significant backlog in green card processing, particularly for highly skilled immigrants from countries like India and China. She supported comprehensive immigration reform that would include efforts to reduce this backlog. One of her proposals was to eliminate per-country caps on green cards, which would allow workers from high-demand countries to receive their green cards more quickly. This measure aimed to address the long wait times many high-skilled immigrants face.

3. Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Clinton’s broader immigration reform plan included providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and ensuring that the U.S. immigration system is more efficient and just. Her position was in contrast to more restrictive policies proposed by some Republican candidates.

In summary, Hillary Clinton supported expanding the H-1B visa program and addressing the green card backlog, particularly by advocating for eliminating per-country caps to ensure faster processing for high-skilled immigrants.

Sources:

• Hillary Clinton on Immigration - Ballotpedia

• Clinton's Immigration Plan - Hillary Clinton's Campaign Website