Trump's Election Victory Sparks Fears Among Skilled Workers Over Stricter Immigration Policies

President-elect Donald Trump's victory has sparked concerns among highly-skilled workers about what his strict immigration plans could mean for them.

Since Trump won the election, immigration attorneys have been receiving hundreds of questions from foreign-born workers, who want to understand how the new policies might affect their lives and jobs.

In addition, the demand for H-1B visas was much higher than the supply -- only 65,000 were issued each year, with an additional 20,000 for those with a master's degree or higher from a U.S. university, Forbes reported.

During the first term of Trump (from 2017 to 2021), the denial rate for H-1B visas increased sharply, reaching 24% in fiscal year 2018 compared to just 6% in 2015.

Silicon Valley immigration attorney Sophie Alcorn said she began receiving calls about immigration concerns as soon as Trump became the Republican candidate earlier this year. However, since he won the presidential election last week, the number of inquiries have skyrocketed.

Valley said she and her team at Alcorn Immigration Law have received hundreds of messages from current and potential clients via phone, email and social media. Many of these questions came from tech workers worried about their H-1B visas, given to highly-skilled immigrant workers.

"I think any immigrant is afraid of Trump. People are concerned about, Can they continue to live in the United States? How volatile is their immigration status? How predictable will their renewals be? [In his first term] Trump had the extreme vetting policy," Alcorn said, Forbes reported.

According to Alcorn, many foreign-born workers were trying to finish their immigration paperwork by the end of the year, in an attempt to secure their visa before Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20 by opting for premium processing.

Elizabeth Goss, an immigration attorney in Boston, said, "People are asking what's going to change, but the level of anxiety is not fever-pitched. We are getting some calls, but I don't have a run of people saying you must file my case right now. I expected that."

Goss said that many of the questions she was getting after the election were more about practical concerns, like whether it's safe to leave the U.S. for the holidays. She said she was advising people that it may be okay to travel, but to return by Jan. 6.

Last week, Trump said that strengthening the U.S. border would be one of his top priorities after taking over the office in January, adding that the cost of mass deportations was "not a question of a price tag."