Congress Pushes Back on H1-B Visas

[OhioChick]

DATE: 05-SEP-2007

Will the 110th Congress continue to disappoint the tech sector?

When the immigration reform bill went down in flames in May, a provision to raise the cap on H-1B visas also went up in smoke. That the controversial legislation—loaded with such explosive political hot buttons such as border security and amnesty—failed came as no surprise as Congress has unsuccessfully wrangled with these issues for years.

What did surprise many in the tech sector, though, was the serious pushback by lawmakers on H-1B visas. An increase in the specialized-occupation temporary worker visas had been a top priority for the technology sector, which claims there are not enough qualified U.S. workers to fill their advance-degree positions.

"It's all part of keeping America competitive," said Roger Cochetti, group director of U.S. public policy at Washington's CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association). Or as Microsoft's Bill Gates told Congress in 2005, "The whole idea of the H-1B thing is don't let too many smart people come into the country. Basically, it doesn't make sense."

Just one day after the opening of the H1-B visa program process, the 2008 allotment of 85,000 H1-B visas is already gone. Last year, it took a month to exhaust the supply of H-1B visas.

With Democrats taking over control of Congress this year, tech harbored hopes of an increase in H-1B visas from the current 64,000 per year. The cap does not apply to petitions made on behalf of current H-1B holders or from applicants who hold advanced degrees from U.S. academic institutions, for whom an additional 20,000 visas are made available.

Yet while the bill was still in play, the U.S. Senate voted to increase the fees on H1-B visas while not raising the cap.

More: http://www.channelinsider.com/article/Congress+Pushes+Back+on+H1B+Visas/214606_1.aspx

[beberocks]

1. Bunch of crap that there are not enough skilled workers here

I worked with many engineers in a big high-tech company. The company laid them all off, and many of them had worked there 20+ years. They just want to pay less, which in turn discourages young people from going into technical fields like engineering.

[badgolfer]

2. H1-B support

Who supports this increase in H1-B visas that is running for President in 2008? Senator Clinton!!!!!

[crikkett]

4. She knows who her base is.

[crikkett]

3. Sonofagun, looks like these tech firms are just going to have to hire Americans after all.

[Jim__]

5. Will the 110th Congress continue to disappoint the tech sector?

Disappoint the tech sector? I'm a tech-sector worker whose company no longer (last 3 years) hires in North America; I'm sure as hell not disappointed.

[Deja Q]

6. Keeping America competitive means jobs and means to further education AND, AND, AND

maintaining a healthy competition to encourage desire to continue in those fields.

As for Hillary, I have nothing to say here, either way, right now.