Patel Kishan
Registered Users (C)
The General Accounting Office (GAO), Congress' top watch-dog agency, is focusing its attention on the H-1B Visa guestworker program in a series of hard-hitting studies.
On Sept. 9, GAO released a report assessing Department of Commerce's controls over transfers of technology to foreign nations. The report concludes that the Department's Bureau of Industry and Security has failed to conduct adequate background checks on approximately 15,000 H-1B workers currently working in the United States in areas involving sensitive technologies and that the agency lacks an adequate system for tracking cases that deserve closer scrutiny. The report concludes that the U.S. government currently "does not provide adequate assurance that U.S. national security interests are properly protected."
See GAO Report, "Export Controls: Department of Commerce Controls over
Transfers of Technology to Foreign Nationals Need Improvement (GAO-02-972, Sept. 9) at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02972.pdf
A second GAO study anticipated in late September will focus on the scope and effectiveness of Department of Labor and other training programs funded through a fee imposed on H-1B visa petitions. President Bush had proposed redirecting some of these funds to the Immigration and Naturalization Service to expedite permanent visa processing, but Congress does not seem
inclined to do so. Others have questioned whether these training funds are being used to retrain U.S. workers for the types of positions being filled with H-1B guestworkers.
A third study, requested by Reps. Jim Barcia (D-MI) and Lynn Rivers (D-MI), will focus on the extent to which U.S. employers endeavor to hire and training American workers before recruiting H-1B guestworkers, the impact of the recent high-tech industry downturn on employment of U.S. workers and guestworkers, and what happens to H-1B workers who are laid off.
On Sept. 9, GAO released a report assessing Department of Commerce's controls over transfers of technology to foreign nations. The report concludes that the Department's Bureau of Industry and Security has failed to conduct adequate background checks on approximately 15,000 H-1B workers currently working in the United States in areas involving sensitive technologies and that the agency lacks an adequate system for tracking cases that deserve closer scrutiny. The report concludes that the U.S. government currently "does not provide adequate assurance that U.S. national security interests are properly protected."
See GAO Report, "Export Controls: Department of Commerce Controls over
Transfers of Technology to Foreign Nationals Need Improvement (GAO-02-972, Sept. 9) at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02972.pdf
A second GAO study anticipated in late September will focus on the scope and effectiveness of Department of Labor and other training programs funded through a fee imposed on H-1B visa petitions. President Bush had proposed redirecting some of these funds to the Immigration and Naturalization Service to expedite permanent visa processing, but Congress does not seem
inclined to do so. Others have questioned whether these training funds are being used to retrain U.S. workers for the types of positions being filled with H-1B guestworkers.
A third study, requested by Reps. Jim Barcia (D-MI) and Lynn Rivers (D-MI), will focus on the extent to which U.S. employers endeavor to hire and training American workers before recruiting H-1B guestworkers, the impact of the recent high-tech industry downturn on employment of U.S. workers and guestworkers, and what happens to H-1B workers who are laid off.