President Donald Trump's administration is preparing a new executive order that could change rules for the H1-B visa, the work permit used by Silicon Valley to hire thousands of workers. But a tightening of the H1-B visa process could set up a clash between some of the U.S. most influential companies and the new administration. The H1-B visa, awarded under a lottery system, was originally established to help U.S. companies recruit from abroad when they couldn't find qualified local workers. Congress is also making plans to change the H1-B visa with draft legislation to focus the visa on the most highly skilled workers. (Francois Mori/Associated Press)The draft executive order also affects the L-1 visa used to bring in executives and managers for short periods, the E-2 visa for investors and the B-1 visa for business people.

Source: CBC News January 30, 2017 15:56 UTC