South Bend earmarks $300K for ‘high-skill immigration fund’

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Where in the world will South Bend find high-skilled workers needed to fill open positions?

Perhaps the answer is from all around the world.

The city redevelopment commission today set aside $300,000 to create the high-skill immigration fund.

Businesses looking to hire foreign talent are often discouraged by the cost of visa processing.

Those H-1B’s are ultimately awarded at the federal level in a lottery system,” said Caleb Bauer of the South Bend Community Investment Department. “So, you could have someone that meets all the requirements for the visa, but, they ultimately just don’t get selected in the lottery. If their employer sponsored them, then that employer is about $6,000 to $8,000 dollars in processing fees for that H-1B, so our goal is a 50-50 split with the employer.”

It’s hoped the fund will help to retain international talent attending local universities.

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