I graduated from Oxford University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in computer science, and I first came to the United States in 2013. My first job in America was as a software engineer, and I traveled on an H-1B visa: the non-immigrant visa that allows American employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that has recently become the center of widespread debate and controversy.
Established in 1990, the H-1B program was meant to allow U.S. companies to temporarily employ highly skilled and academically accredited foreign workers in specialty occupations — think engineers, software developers, and scientists. In theory, this program fills gaps in America’s workforce, boosts innovation, and helps companies compete in the global market.
