Retrogression Stinks for American employers - Editorials

[logiclife]

Attn: I will be posting a lot of stuff like this on immigrationvoice.org, an organization comprised of people working to end retrogression and getting GC before they have to apply for H1b Extension for 219th time and become senior citizens.

So enjoy while it lasts here and enroll at immigrationvoice to keep getting the good stuff on anti-retrogression efforts.


Voter sentiment on elections:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007659

From what I gather from this Wall Street Journal article, a huge majority of Americans support guest-worker program for illegal aliens as long as they live crime-free, learn english etc. And a majority of them also support tough border security so that they dont have to talk about "Guest worker program" in 2016 again.

What is notably absent here is IMMIGRATION REFORM for LEGAL FRIGGING IMMIGRANTS...who pay friggin taxes and file damn petitions and fill out forms for everything: Seek work, changing employers, seeking GC, going home during 485, before arrival and after departure at the airports(I-94), seek EAD during the eternal wait for 485, ordering from Taco bell take-out...etc. Ok. Ok. I made the last one up. But rest is true.

Editorials that support our cause(faster GC for legals) are here. Might serve as good source for arguments when we start writing letters to congress.

Miami Herald:

Flow of Valued Workers is Slowed

Editorial
The Miami Herald
September 23, 2005

OUR OPINION: EASE VISA CAPS TO BOOST U.S. BUSINESSES

A change in the arcane way that immigrant visas are processed is causing shock waves in the business community, and for good reason. Newly announced limits on employer-sponsored immigrant visas threaten to cut off a supply of highly skilled and essential workers for many firms.

The change means that Florida hospitals facing an acute nursing shortage will no longer be able to hire nurses from the Philippines and that technology firms can't rely on talent from India or China. Because there are enormous backlogs of visa applications already being processed, the delays are likely to grow for potential employees from all over the world.

Hunting for specialists

In short, the new restrictions will make getting an employer-sponsored visa for a foreign national impractical if not impossible for years to come. This means that highly skilled talent will go elsewhere, a boon to U.S. competitors overseas. Meanwhile, U.S. employers will go hunting for specialists that this country lacks. When those needed experts can't be found here, the firms would likely consider shipping those highly paid white-collar jobs where employees are, overseas.

This need not happen. The fundamental problem is that U.S. visa limits have no basis in today's reality. Currently only 620,000 immigrant visas are available per year. While the bulk of those are alloted for immigrants petitioned by U.S. relatives, only 140,000 go for immigrants sponsored by businesses. That's less than one-tenth of one percent of the 150 million employees in the U.S. labor market. That number is inadequate for what U.S. industry demands.

Set 15 years ago, the 140,000 cap is outdated. To stay competitive in today's globalized marketplace, U.S. businesses need the best talent worldwide. They also need more employees who understand the demands of international markets.

A business crisis

Ultimately, the U.S. immigration system should be reformed. More urgently, however, short-term fixes can help avert a business-visa crisis.

Congress should lift the 140,000 cap altogether since these visas have a built-in regulator: A foreign worker can be hired only via an employer-sponsored visa when the Labor Department has certified that no American is capable or willing to do the job in question. In fact, 300,000 such visas were left unused in years that the cap was not reached. Another option would be to make those unused visas available.

The cap on temporary visas for highly skilled workers, called H-1Bs, should also be hiked. That the 65,000 H-1B quota was filled in less than two days last year shows the problem. Skilled foreign labor is essential for U.S. industry and our economy's health.

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We love ya Miami...your beaches, your sunshine, and this editorial. All of it.

Please post all editorials and/or URLs on similar thread created on immigrationvoice.org .

 

[end_the_wait]

Given the improving economy, it is all the more critical that USA doesn't loose the skilled employees.