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cinta

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To make our campaign effective we need to contact the following among others. This is the purpose of this thread. Let us start with a somewhat old letter from the ABLI (Compete America, Reference: LouDobbs, CNN) and a list of the companies.

1: Companies
2: Associations

The Honorable Neil Abercrombie
U.S, House of Representatives
1502 LHOB
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Abercrombie:

On behalf of the American Business for Legal Immigration Coalition (ABLI), we want you to
know of our strong support for H.R. 3983, the HI-TECH Act. The bill, which temporarily
raises the cap on H-1B visas, addresses the critical workforce shortage American employers
face; particularly fox jobs requiring degrees in math, science and engineering.

Three trends are at the crux of the problem: Unemployment is at a record, 30-year low.
Demand for professionals with highly specialized skills has soared, while the number of
American students graduating from U.S. universities with undergraduate degrees in math,
science, engineering and other technical disciplines has declined. Finally, the way companies
design, manufacture and market products and services around the globe demands international
personnel mobility. Unfortunately, American employers are finding it increasingly difficult to
locate and recruit professionals to meet current project demands. Failure to raise the cap to
allow access to highly educated foreign professionals, many of whom were educated at U.S.
universities, will result in lost sales, delayed projects and other setbacks that will threaten the
technological preeminence of U.S. industry.

H.R. 3983 would provide immediate relief to employers. It would ensure that a number of visas
are clearly reserved for individuals with master's degrees and above, as well as for individuals
working for institutions of higher education and non-profit research organizations. Moreover, it
would institute changes to the green card process that would help to alleviate some o£ the
pressures that are currently borne by the H-1B program. The bill also directs funds raised by
the fee to effective education and training programs that help lay the groundwork for
longer-term solutions to the worker shortage issue. H.R. 3983 enjoys broad bipartisan support
from Members across the country.

While H.R. 4227 does acknowledge the need to adjust the cap, we do not believe that it
provides the necessary changes to deliver meaningful relief. Indeed, H.R. 4227 imposes
burdensome new requirements on the H-1B program that would make the program unusable
for many employers.

With the cap on H-113's already expired; the need to address this issue quickly is acute. We
cannot afford to maintain an artificial cap on our technology-driven economy. We look forward
to working with you to pass H.R. 3983 in the weeks ahead. Should you have any additional
questions or need more information, please go to www.pam.org/~hrp/ABLI. htm, or contact
Sandy Boyd at (202) 637-3133.

Sincerely,

American Business for Legal Immigration or
the National Association of Manufacturers
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington DC 20004-1790
(202) 637-3133
Fax: (202) 637-3182 E-mail: abli@nam.org
 
Recent response from ABLI

This story was printed from ZDNet UK, located at http://news.zdnet.co.uk/

Story URL: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/employment/0,39020648,39146674,00.htm

US high-tech visa quota already met
Ed Frauenheim
CNET News.com
February 19, 2004, 14:39 GMT

The federal government has received enough H-1B visa applications to meet this year's cap, prompting one business group to call for reform of the controversial guest worker programme.

No new petitions for first-time employment in 2004 will be accepted starting Wednesday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said this week. The cut-off means that the annual cap of 65,000 new workers has been reached less than five months into the fiscal year, which began on 1October.

The news prompted a quick response from American Business for Legal Immigration, which is a coalition of 200 corporations, universities, research institutions and trade associations.

"Our goal is to keep the US economy growing and keep US jobs in America. Sometimes this requires hiring a limited number of highly educated foreign professionals to fill technical or specialised positions," Sandy Boyd, chair of the group, said in a statement on Wednesday. "Reaching the 2004 visa limit less than halfway through the fiscal year is clear evidence that the system needs to be fixed."

The H-1B visa programme allows skilled foreign workers, such as programmers, into the United States for up to six years. US employers do not have to attest that they sought US workers to fill the job before applying for a visa, but they are
supposed to pay the prevailing wage to the guest worker. The cap does not apply to institutions of higher education or related nonprofit groups, or to nonprofit research groups or governmental research organisations.

Many H-1B visas go to technology professionals. One-third of the approved visa applications in 2002 were for systems analysts or programmers, though that figure was down from half of all approved visa petitions in 2001, according to CIS.

Congress raised the annual cap for H-1B visas to 195,000 for 2001, 2002 and 2003. In the wake of a recession and major technology industry layoffs, Congress let the cap drop to 65,000 for this year.

Critics say the programme hurts US workers by taking jobs away from them and undercutting wages. The use of H-1B and L-1 guest-worker visas by companies based in India and elsewhere has come under scrutiny for allegedly fuelling the
movement of technology jobs overseas.

Technology industry leaders, though, defend the H-1B programme as a tool to keep US employers competitive. Backers of the guest-worker visas warn that even more IT work would move offshore if they were eliminated.

The American Business for Legal Immigration group on Wednesday suggested that foreign graduates from US advanced degree programmes in math, engineering and computer science should be allowed to remain in the country. "US employers should have access to masters and Ph.D. holders whose education was paid, at least in part, through US tax dollars," Boyd said. "It is counterproductive for the US to train foreign scientists and engineers and then send them home to compete against
American businesses."

Another proposal that may affect the H-1B visa programme is President George W. Bush's plan for a new temporary worker programme. Comments from a Bush administration official indicated the proposal may cover high-tech jobs.

Take ZDNet with you wherever you go. ZDNet Week is a printed magazine that distils the very best of ZDNet every fortnight. For your free trial subscription click here

American Business for Legal Immigration, which is a coalition of 200 corporations, universities, research institutions and trade associations.

Also:

http://immigration.about.com/cs/visaswaittimes/a/H1bcap04neednew.htm

www.nasulgc.org/Whatsnew/H1B_visa_ad_WSJ.pdf List of companies

http://www.shusterman.com/abli.html
 
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Anybody thought about filing a lawsuit to Lou Dobbs who kept producing very negative reports on immigrants and misleading average americans on H1B visa issues (H1B is designed to steal american jobs--per his interpretation).

I have never seen such a biased journalist (along with several other reporters who apparently work for him) in major medias. He never covers his hatrid to immigrants. Sometimes he rants and loses tempers in front of millions of viewers.

Are there any organizations in the US which supervise or balance news report??? I am surprised that a reporter can do whatever he wants to bias the news in the wrong direction just based on his own opinions and judgements.
 
Originally posted by zyu
Anybody thought about filing a lawsuit to Lou Dobbs who kept producing very negative reports on immigrants and misleading average americans on H1B visa issues (H1B is designed to steal american jobs--per his interpretation).

I have never seen such a biased journalist (along with several other reporters who apparently work for him) in major medias. He never covers his hatrid to immigrants. Sometimes he rants and loses tempers in front of millions of viewers.

Are there any organizations in the US which supervise or balance news report??? I am surprised that a reporter can do whatever he wants to bias the news in the wrong direction just based on his own opinions and judgements.
Click to expand...

Whether we like it or not, that is how the American media is; biased for a lot of reasons among them, ratings.Our duty is to contact our "FRIENDS" first and second try to correct the LouDobbs of this world. The ABLI as shown above is a good step. The idea to sue Lou is a bit too much.
 
ITAA

Association of American IT: Backlogs / Security Clearances.

Coalition Calls for Security Clearance Process Reforms

February 18, 2004

For More Information Contact:
Tinabeth Burton (703) 284-5305 tburton@itaa.org

Arlington, VA - With the security clearance process for private sector personnel seeking to
perform classified government work taking over a year to complete, a broad coalition of
leading industry groups has proposed a series of changes aimed at improving the nation's
security posture, better serving governing agencies, and lowering the cost to the taxpayer.

The Coalition consists of the Information Technology Association of America, Professional
Services Council, Security Affairs Support Association, Contract Services Association,
Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, and the Northern Virginia
Technology Council.

Information Technology Association of America President Harris N. Miller, speaking on
behalf of the Coalition, said "critical government work is being affected because
government contractors cannot get the necessary people through the clearance process in
a timely manner. With defending the homeland and winning the War on Terrorism top
national priorities, we need to remove this procedural bottleneck and put people to work in
these and other vital defense, intelligence and law enforcement areas," Miller said.

Like their public sector counterparts, contractor personnel are required to have security
clearances to perform certain government work. Such clearances involve background
investigations in areas like identity verification, educational attainment, employment
history, criminal record and financial status. The Coalition today issued a white paper
recommending four reforms to the current security clearance system:

Increase bench strength. Clearances currently pertain to individuals working on
specific projects requiring such clearances. Granting clearances to an additional 20
percent of workers over and above this base amount would improve the ability of
contractors to staff projects with appropriately skilled personnel quickly and cost
effectively;
Address the adjudication backlog. With background investigation timelines
stretching out, utilize private sector adjudicators until the current backlog is
eliminated and the processing delay is 30 days or less;
Increase reciprocity of clearances. Create a process whereby cleared workers can
be shared among agencies and among contractors. Under current practice, for
example, workers leaving a project and returning to the agency a few weeks later
can face a reinstatement process that takes months. Even when the worker does
not leave the project but transfers between employers, the delay in having a
clearance transferred can be substantial; and
Standardize data and processes for like clearances. A standardized process would
identify data elements and investigation processes common to all clearances and
set the foundation for a tiered level of more involved clearances, based on project
requirements. Such a process would also facilitate an e-clearance capability for
interagency clearance adjudication.

The white paper is available on the ITAA website at
http://www.itaa.org/es/docs/securityclearancewhitepaper.pdf or through any of the coalition
members.
 
It is well known fact that big corporates influence various decisions of policy making. So we should concentrate on big corporates.

Cinta, Thanks for introducing organization like ABLI. I'm sure if they talk for us they can easily influence the goverment.
 
Originally posted by Edison
It is well known fact that big corporates influence various decisions of policy making. So we should concentrate on big corporates.

Cinta, Thanks for introducing organization like ABLI. I'm sure if they talk for us they can easily influence the goverment.
Click to expand...

ABLI is a consortium of 200 organisations..so contacting them theoretically we contact a lot..

ITAA is also influential..as is the

IEEE (IEEE USA).

Thanks for paying attention! At least somebody (approved) is. We need to get the organisation up and running.
 
Like it or not, you cannot SUE people like Lou Dobbs, it will be against freedom of speech - the 1st amendment. If that is possible, the left-wingers will be feasting with law-suits against Sean Hanity, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbough. The only thing we can do is to write to the sponsors of the Lou Dobbs program and threaten them that we will not buy their products.
 
US Chamber of Commerce

Another influential consortium of small business.

By Patrice Hill
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published March 11, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Important American industries including top Republican campaign contributors see President Bush's proposal to create a foreign guest-worker program as the best way to address labor shortages in their fields.
Employers from farm and construction work to restaurateurs and Main Street stores say the current system that allows millions of illegal workers to enter the country and work under the table for subminimum wages is not serving businesses or workers well.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents 3 million small businesses across the country, supports the plan as a simple acknowledgment of reality: Despite strict rules against hiring illegal workers, the practice is widespread and growing.
"Our immigration system is broken," said Randel Johnson, a vice president at the Chamber of Commerce. "Our immigration and visa policy must ensure employers are able to fill jobs critical to our economy when American workers are not available."
The plan would allow U.S. employers to fill job openings with qualified workers from other countries if Americans are unwilling to take the jobs. It also would provide temporary work permits to an estimated 8 million undocumented workers already in the country.
Businesses that stand to benefit from tapping into a potentially huge pool of cheap foreign labor are major donors and political activists campaigning for the president, helping him to set fund-raising records early in the 2004 campaign cycle.
Even some businesses that have been caught in the Bush administration's enforcement net for employing undocumented workers, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Tyson Foods Inc., contribute largely to President Bush and Republican causes, though Democrats traditionally have provided the political base of support for immigration-reform legislation.
Mr. Bush and other advocates of such legislation say providing a legal avenue for immigrant labor would enable the government to focus its enforcement efforts on the most pressing threats from abroad: terrorism and illegal drugs.

Underground economy
Advocates say it also would take a step toward redressing some of the hardships faced by workers trapped in the illegal underground economy.
"The way it is now, the aliens stand on street corners and take what they can get," accepting pay as low as $4 an hour with no insurance or other benefits, said "M.A.," the owner of a New Mexico contracting company that installs home spas.
Employers not only get away with paying illegal workers less than the $5.15 federal minimum wage, but they don't pay the workers' income or Social Security taxes, said the contractor, who spoke on the condition that his full name not be used.
Despite the hardship for workers, employers take advantage of their inexpensive labor because they save so much money, said M.A., who employs about 65 people, both legal and illegal, at 10 locations in the Southwest.
The Washington area has attracted many undocumented workers because of the booming housing market and the higher wages available here. Contractors and homeowners alike cruise by street corners in Langley Park, Springfield, Alexandria and other areas where immigrant workers gather and can be hired on the spot.
One local real estate agent said the need for workers has become so dire that illegal laborers are earning a minimum of $10 to $12 an hour for simple yard work or home-maintenance projects.
"If you've got a hammer in your hand, a builder's going to hire you," no questions asked, she said. She asked that her name not be used.
While all employers including homeowners who hire somebody for a weekend painting project are required to obtain proof of legal status, many such small employers appear to be oblivious to their responsibilities because enforcement is so rare, the real estate agent said.
The practice of hiring laborers off street corners is accepted, she said.
"I don't think fear of enforcement is an issue," she said, noting that one street corner in Springfield where illegal workers gather is next door to a police station.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security deported 140,000 illegal immigrants in the last fiscal year, but its emphasis has been on finding and deporting convicted criminals and those who pose a threat to homeland security.
Most run-of-the-mill day laborers and part-time home workers escape enforcement because the government's few thousand immigration agents are far outnumbered by the millions of illegal workers and people who employ them, enforcement officials say.
In addition, while employers face fines if they knowingly hire illegal workers, pinning the blame can be difficult. Some small employers genuinely are deceived by workers who, for as little as $80, can obtain forged documents such as work permits, green cards and Social Security numbers, sometimes culled from the records of dead people.
Even Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world, insisted it did not know that 250 undocumented janitorial workers rounded up in its stores in enforcement raids last year were illegal because they were hired by outside contractors. Wal-Mart says it was treated unfairly because it had been cooperating with federal authorities to go after the real culprits.
Despite substantial damage to its reputation as an "all-American company" caused by the raid, Wal-Mart continues to contribute to Mr. Bush and donate overwhelmingly to Republicans.

Going where the jobs are
Immigrants have gravitated to occupations in which jobs are plentiful but often not attractive to Americans because they are dirty, dangerous and low paying.
While unemployed Americans complain about a "jobless recovery" that has kept more than 8 million native-born workers from finding jobs in the past three years, employers in booming industries like construction complain that they can't find enough workers.
"The construction industry is creating jobs, but in many cases, no one is there to fill this need," said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of Associated General Contractors, an industry group that supports Mr. Bush's reform plan.
A recent study by Pew Hispanic Center found that the boom in construction employment is disproportionately benefiting Hispanic immigrants over native-born Americans.
Hispanic males who arrived in the country since 2000 experienced the fastest employment growth in the nation last year, with the construction industry accounting for more than half the 648,445 jobs obtained by such workers, the study found.
Mexican and other Latin American immigrants make up about 80 percent of an estimated 9.3 million undocumented immigrants in the country, including workers as well as their children and wives who do not work, according to the Urban Institute.
Construction businesses employ an estimated 1 million to 2 million of the undocumented workers, according to labor analysts. With $5.1 million in contributions to Mr. Bush thus far in the campaign cycle, they also are top donors to Mr. Bush, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
General contractors in total have contributed $2.3 million to the president. And two prominent developers, Dwight C. Schar of NVR Homes and C. Michael Kojaian of Kojaian Cos., are among Mr. Bush's top money-raisers, having drummed up $759,500 and $743,401 in contributions, respectively.
Construction businesses have given more than 70 percent of their campaign contributions, or $88.4 million, to Republicans since 2000, compared with $38.3 million to Democrats, according to the politics center.
The National Association of Home Builders, a prominent builders' group, has spread its $863,000 in contributions more evenly between the parties, with 58 percent going to Republicans and 42 percent to Democrats.
Other critical industries outside of construction also say the flow of low-wage workers from Mexico, Central America, China and other developing countries has become essential for them to stay afloat.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association, which organized the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition to fight for immigration reform on Capitol Hill, says a shortage of seasonal workers at hotels is becoming critical because American workers increasingly are college educated and are not interested in low-level hotel jobs.
The business lobbying coalition has 34 large and small members, ranging from the National Retail Federation and American Health Care Association to the Truckload Carriers Association and National Roofing Contractors Association.
The retail group has given all of its $171,776 in campaign contributions since 2000 to Republican candidates.
The National Restaurant Association, whose members employ thousands of undocumented workers, says chronic labor shortages will lead to a 1.6 million shortfall of workers by 2012.
It supports the Bush plan as well as bipartisan efforts at immigration reform on Capitol Hill, and has given more than 70 percent of its $6.2 million in campaign donations to Republicans.

.............................................continued
 
You guys should come to reality.

It is very very diffiucult to get jobs even for a GC holder.
They are not even calling us for interviews looking at our Indian name let alone giving jobs.

I think you guys do not know the hardships of a GC holder and you think once GC is received everything is smooth.

My brother and few of his friends who are GC holders do not have jobs for the past 8 weeks since they have moved the jobs to China.

They were a well settled family with house etc.

Did you know that now to get jobs even in Retail Stores we need to write a test.

JOBS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND IT IS VERY VERY DIFFICULT TO GET JOBS THAT TOO FOR A INDIAN GC HOLDER.

It is high time to stop worrying about H1 B and outsourcing etc,
Since after getting GC we need to be here we should think about our future and our children

My brother and his friends are finding it very difficult to lead life nor they can go to India since they are GC holders.

So my advice is stop worrying about reduction of H1B and also outsourcing by coming to reality.

If there are no jobs here it is of no use getting GC.
 
Originally posted by gc crazi
You guys should come to reality.

It is very very diffiucult to get jobs even for a GC holder.
They are not even calling us for interviews looking at our Indian name let alone giving jobs.

I think you guys do not know the hardships of a GC holder and you think once GC is received everything is smooth.

My brother and few of his friends who are GC holders do not have jobs for the past 8 weeks since they have moved the jobs to China.

They were a well settled family with house etc.

Did you know that now to get jobs even in Retail Stores we need to write a test.

JOBS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND IT IS VERY VERY DIFFICULT TO GET JOBS THAT TOO FOR A INDIAN GC HOLDER.

It is high time to stop worrying about H1 B and outsourcing etc,
Since after getting GC we need to be here we should think about our future and our children

My brother and his friends are finding it very difficult to lead life nor they can go to India since they are GC holders.

So my advice is stop worrying about reduction of H1B and also outsourcing by coming to reality.

If there are no jobs here it is of no use getting GC.
Click to expand...

You have a valid point. The GC itself is fast losing its traditional value to get a job. With offshoring, outsourcing, weak economy, and all the like the number of jobs available are diminishing. This is true for all GC holders, not only Indians as far as I know. If you have specific examples about Indians then it may be discrimination on national origin which is a federal violation...
In any case, that is why myself, kashmir and a few others were /are pointing out the Citizenship issues. Needless to say that the majority of jobs that are not exported in some fashion are Defense related, high-tech that require Citizenship.
It is also true that some companies also require Citizenship, even though there is no clear requirement for that.
 
NAFSA, NSF

Related article from the academic world, universities, NSF, NAFSA.
Also on NPR.

GLOBE EDITORIAL
Visas for science
April 21, 2004

AFTER 9/11, it made sense to lay down new rules for foreigners seeking to come to the United States to study a range of biological and physical sciences with potentially dangerous applications. Unfortunately, the screening of graduate students seeking visas is such a slow and cumbersome process that many are choosing to work in other countries. Congress should ensure that the State Department, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security devote enough resources to speed up the process without raising the risk that terrorists learn the techniques of mass killing in US labs.

In March, a Florida laboratory of the Scripps Research Institute learned that the Swiss-born specialist in mad cow disease selected to be its director would be delayed up to six weeks. Molecular biologist Charles Weissmann will still take the job, but because he was required to give up his passport to get his visa, he couldn't attend an important meeting at Scripps's San Diego headquarters.

In other cases, scientists are simply looking elsewhere even though the United States has long been a center for researchers. The Association of American Universities found that 19 of the top 25 US research institutions have reported a decline of more than 10 percent among international graduate applications. In February the General Accounting Office found that it took foreign students in the sciences an average of 67 days to receive a visa after applying.

The GAO said some of the slowness is due to the fact that the State Department, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security have incompatible data systems. Also, the GAO found it takes two weeks for the State Department to notify consular officers abroad when it clears a candidate for a visa. In addition to the delays, foreign scientists object to restrictions on their ability once admitted on a visa to travel outside the United States for conferences in their specialties or for family emergencies. The repercussions for basic science in the United States could be serious if the problems are not quickly corrected. According to the National Science Foundation, 57 percent of postdoctorate research fellows in the United States are foreigners with temporary visas. At Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, and Harvard School of Dental Medicine the share is 53 percent.

Harvard's president, Larry Summers, has written to both Secretary of State Colin Powell and Homeland Security Secretary Thomas Ridge expressing his concern that Harvard and other institutions "are at risk of losing some of our most promising scholars to universities in other parts of the world." His letters included proposals for speeding procedures without sacrificing security. US preeminence in the sciences should not be another 9/11 victim.
 
HIAS, NY

One Year On: How Has the New U.S.C.I.S. Stacked Up?
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
Morris Ardoin
Phone: 212-613-1350
Email: info@hias.org
Categories
Committee/Programs:
Humanitarian Policy & Practice,
Refugees (CMRA)

Region of Activity: North America

Program Areas, Sector: Public
Policy and Advocacy, Refugee and
Migration Services

Posted Date: March 27, 2004

One Year On: How Has the New U.S.C.I.S. Stacked Up?

NEW YORK CITY * On the first anniversary of the
dissolution of the INS and the creation of the new U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), part of the
Department of Homeland Security, a venerable
immigration organization is crying foul.

Officials at HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society *
America's oldest migration agency * are recommending
that the U.S. government take a closer look at the
services it promises versus the services it actually
delivers before enacting a proposed fee increase for key
applications filed by immigrants and refugees.

"We're concerned that the old INS, and now the CIS, has
raised the fees a number of times over the past few
years, promising better service each time, but never
delivering on that promise," says Frank Lipiner, head of
legal services for HIAS. "In fact, their service has only
deteriorated. Most service functions provided by the
agency have declined markedly over the past five years."

A particularly sore spot for America's immigration
agencies, including HIAS, involves the time it takes the
U.S. government to process immigrants. "This fee
increase comes at a time of massive backlogs," says
Gideon Aronoff, HIAS' vice president for government
relations and public policy. "Congress and the
administration need to focus on an array of immigration
services issues, including their promise to reduce
immigrant processing time to six months, from one or two
years or more, depending on the case."

An average $55 immigration processing fee increase per
application was proposed in the Federal Register in early
February. "Refugees and immigrants should not have to
pay $390 for a naturalization application that takes more
than a year to process or $165 for a travel document
that is valid for two years and takes more than 17 months
to process," says Aronoff.

HIAS, as well as other non-government agencies that
work with immigrants, will submit comments on the
proposed rule next week.

"We object to the proposed fee increases without greatly
improved services," says Aronoff. "Indeed, there is a
growing public perception that higher fees will only
promote and subsidize the underlying inefficiencies that
are causing backlogs."

HIAS is calling for specific change at three levels:

* Accurate tracking of cases. CIS must have a way to
track the status of each application and each processing
step throughout its vast network. Resolving simple
problems, errors, and changes of address should take a
few moments rather than a few months or even years.
Immigration practitioners and immigrants nationwide have
found that the contractor-run National Customer Service
Center is not an effective troubleshooting tool * and in
many cases, it generates new and more complex problems
by dispensing erroneous information to callers.

* Efficient security checks. Backlogs are too readily
blamed on time-consuming security checks in response to
Sept. 11. CIS should identify and remove cumbersome
procedures that duplicate efforts without enhancing
security. The checking process must be streamlined to
eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks.

* Backlog strategy. A meaningful strategy to eliminate
backlogs is needed. The administration's five-year
initiative to reduce the processing time to an average of
six months or less per application and eliminate the
backlog by providing CIS with $500 million of additional
funding has been a failure so far. As America enters the
third year of this initiative, backlogs are at crisis levels.
An effective plan with time-sensitive targets and
accountability is needed.

"It is time for Congress to consider direct appropriations
to supplement lower filing fees," says Aronoff. "Increased
fees for decreased service is something we simply cannot
abide by."

Note to Editors: We can put you in touch with recent
immigrants who can comment about their experiences
going through the U.S. immigration system.

HIAS - Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
333 Seventh Avenue
New York City, 10001
212-613-1349
 
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