Trump administration red tape tangles up visas for skilled foreigners

The trend is likely to cheer supporters of Trump's hardline stance on immigration

The Trump administration is making it more difficult for skilled foreigners to work in the United States, challenging visa applications more often than at nearly any point in the Obama era, according to data reviewed by Reuters.

The more intense scrutiny of the applications for H1B visas comes after President Donald Trump called for changes to the visa programme so that it benefits the highest-paid workers, though he has not enacted any such reforms.

Data provided by US Citizenship and Immigration Services shows that between January 1 and August 31, the agency issued 85,000 challenges, or “requests for evidence” (RFEs), to H1B