Improving Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Foreign Nationals in the United States

The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), a labor union, supports the proposed increase in H-1B wage levels but argues that the rule should establish a wage floor at the median prevailing wage rather than the proposed levels. They also call for stricter enforcement against employer misclassification, restrictions on third-party outsourcing firms, and protections against exploitative recruitment practices.

The AFL-CIO supports the proposed rule because it takes "overdue steps" to bring H-1B wage levels closer to prevailing rates and protects workers from being used as tools to suppress wages. However, they also call for broader reforms, including stricter oversight of employer misclassification, the exclusion of staffing companies from the H-1B program, and enhanced protections for foreign workers.

The Department for Professional Employees (DPE), AFL-CIO, supports the Department of Labor's proposed increases to the prevailing wage floors for H-1B and PERM programs. They argue that these changes are necessary to prevent employers from using these programs to pay below-market wages and to protect workers from exploitation and wage arbitrage.

The Institute for Sound Public Policy (IfSPP), a nonprofit policy advocacy organization, supports the proposed rule as a meaningful step toward improving wage protections for foreign workers but argues it does not go far enough. They urge the Department of Labor to adopt more aggressive measures, such as setting Level I wages at the median market rate, increasing enforcement and audit frequency, and utilizing modern technology to detect occupational classification arbitrage.

The commenter, a naturalized U.S. citizen and former government employee, argues that current labor certification regulations allow corporations to bypass domestic worker protections and discriminate against U.S. citizens. They urge the agency to mandate full demographic disclosure of applicant pools, establish secure whistleblower protections for cleared professionals, and impose penalties for retaliation against those reporting citizenship status discrimination.

The commenter opposes the proposed rule because they argue that raising prevailing wage levels is an ineffective "proxy penalty" that fails to address the root causes of fraud and abuse in employment-based immigration. They advocate for targeted enforcement measures, such as increased audits, site visits, and stricter documentation requirements, rather than broad wage increases that burden compliant employers and workers.

Jeffrey Murray, identifying as an American Worker Advocate, opposes the proposed wage revisions, arguing that they are "half-measures" that fail to address the root problem of foreign labor displacing American workers. He demands that the Department of Labor withdraw the NPRM and instead initiate rulemaking to completely terminate the H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, and PERM programs.

The commenter expresses extreme hostility toward foreign nationals and argues that the government should ban them from the country entirely. They claim that these individuals commit fraud, displace Americans, and engage in criminal behavior, and they advocate for a total exclusion policy rather than the proposed wage protections.