The crackdown comes as no surprise. President Donald Trump promised to “end forever the use of the H-1B as a cheap labor program.” A draft proposal circulated in January promised to review existing regulations, find ways to allocate visas more efficiently and ensure that beneficiaries are “the best and the brightest.”

Trump has yet to issue that order; the enforcement effort announced Monday could be an interim measure while a broader overhaul is worked out.

H-1B visas are open to a broad range of occupations, including architects, professors and fashion models. Companies must affirm that the job requires a specialized skill that cannot be filled by a U.S. worker, but critics say safeguards are weak. They argue that the program routinely lets in foreign workers with minimal skills, even though these visas are supposed to be reserved for highly specialized jobs.

The technology industry insists that H1-B visas are vital. Proponents say the program encourages students to stay in the U.S. after getting their degrees in high-tech fields.

Critics say that many of the available H-1B spots go to lower-paid foreign workers employed by outsourcing firms such as Infosys and Wipro.

“If it helps preserve the program and frees up more spots for truly exceptional people to continue innovation in this country, then it’s a good thing,” said Todd Thibodeaux, chief executive of the Computing Technology Industry Association. “And if it squeezes out people out at the bottom, then so be it.”

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