gc_wow
03-12 11:57 AM
roughly I have donated close to $300-$400 for IV,i dosent matter if it says donor or member what ever as long as you are contributing something to iV.Ieven donated 25 for foia.
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diptam
08-10 01:52 PM
I talk in USCIS standards. They mentioned in last weekly report that they are compliant till 7/1/2007 but actually that was 6/29/2007.
Nothing happens in weekend - so i mentioned Aug 12th as Today's date :D
What are you smoking?? Its Aug 10 today..
Nothing happens in weekend - so i mentioned Aug 12th as Today's date :D
What are you smoking?? Its Aug 10 today..
needhelp!
03-12 01:28 PM
Here is my point. I spend several hours 3-4 hours at least every day looking through the forum posts hoping to find ways i can contribute to efforts.
You should find ways to participate if you click on the orange Action Alerts link.
Also, click on "Advocacy" and "Volunteer" in the blue menu bar at the top of every page. You will find TONS of things to do on an ongoing basis.
Did you:
Join your state chapter?
Send letters for FOIA campaign?
Send letters on the spate of I-485 denials?
Send letters to Senators regarding Housing Crisis?
Participate in Team IV?
All links are available under action alerts and first post of each of those threads has all the relevant information. I am not sure what other information you are seeking.
You should find ways to participate if you click on the orange Action Alerts link.
Also, click on "Advocacy" and "Volunteer" in the blue menu bar at the top of every page. You will find TONS of things to do on an ongoing basis.
Did you:
Join your state chapter?
Send letters for FOIA campaign?
Send letters on the spate of I-485 denials?
Send letters to Senators regarding Housing Crisis?
Participate in Team IV?
All links are available under action alerts and first post of each of those threads has all the relevant information. I am not sure what other information you are seeking.
2011 SAAB 9-3 2.0T Aero Convertible
h1techSlave
10-01 11:11 AM
It is so confusing that I do not know how to explain the whole thing.
Here is a small sample.
In 2002 all the EB visas were issued(174,968). However, there were 31,532 unused family preference visas, so the limit for 2003 was 171,532 (140,000 + 31,532).
Guess what, in 2003 they only approved 82,137 EB visas, so they ended up with 88,482 unused EB visas
Great find, Andy. Based on your explanation, I can say that our real problem is not the lack of visa numbers. There are enough visa numbers, but USCIS is not utilizing them.
This also tells me that an increase in visa numbers to 290,000 (or what ever number that the SKILL bill is asking for) would NOT change the situation a little bit. The end result only will be that the USCIS will end up with more number of unused visas.
Can the IV community do some thing to improve the whole situation?
I am seeing two specific bottlenecks.
1. Delay in USCIS to process applications. This is an area, that we can do something. And I am already seeing a huge improvement from USCIS in terms of fast processing.
2. Delay in FBI namecheck. Again this is an area we can do something. I don't know what, but there should be something that we can do. Many of my friends have been writing to Laura Bush explaining their FBI namecheck bottleneck and a few of them got positive results.
Here is a small sample.
In 2002 all the EB visas were issued(174,968). However, there were 31,532 unused family preference visas, so the limit for 2003 was 171,532 (140,000 + 31,532).
Guess what, in 2003 they only approved 82,137 EB visas, so they ended up with 88,482 unused EB visas
Great find, Andy. Based on your explanation, I can say that our real problem is not the lack of visa numbers. There are enough visa numbers, but USCIS is not utilizing them.
This also tells me that an increase in visa numbers to 290,000 (or what ever number that the SKILL bill is asking for) would NOT change the situation a little bit. The end result only will be that the USCIS will end up with more number of unused visas.
Can the IV community do some thing to improve the whole situation?
I am seeing two specific bottlenecks.
1. Delay in USCIS to process applications. This is an area, that we can do something. And I am already seeing a huge improvement from USCIS in terms of fast processing.
2. Delay in FBI namecheck. Again this is an area we can do something. I don't know what, but there should be something that we can do. Many of my friends have been writing to Laura Bush explaining their FBI namecheck bottleneck and a few of them got positive results.
more...
delax
07-20 01:32 PM
Guys,
The calculations below is not to scare anyone but it may very well a reality. Based on the assumptions below, some people may have to wait up to 20 months to get a EAD card: Ouch!
A Total I-485 Applicants: 750000 Applicants
B Each EAD processing time: 5 Minutes
C Total processing hrs: 62500 Hours
(Calculations: AxB/60)
D Daily productive Hours: 5 Hours
(It is a government body!)
E Total Man Days (Business Days): 12500 Man Days
(Calculations: C/D)
F EAD Workforce: 30 People
G Total Business Days: 417 Days
(Calculations: E/F)
H Average Business Days in a month: 21 Days
I Total Clearing Time : 20 Months
(Calculations: G/I)
Here's my estimate regarding the expected I-485 filings for July 2007 based on the approved LC petition data provided by DOL. See link below (Thanks ! DreamGC)
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pPp-1fPOWrpRSbOSVaat9ew
LC Approvals (Expected 485 filings in July 2007)
2007: 50000(50000) Estimated since data unavailabe
2006: 79782 (79782)
2005: 6133 (6133)
2004: 43582 (34866) 80% will file in July, 20% filed earlier
2003: 62912 (31456) 50% will file in July. The rest filed earlier.
2002: 79784 (Nil) Since more than 95% would have filed 485 earlier.
I am ignoring anything before 2002.
If you add up the numbers in parentheses the total is 202,236 - primary applicants. Assuming an average family size of 2 gives us 404,472 give or take 10%
I would say 80% of the 400k people may apply for EAD - that still makes it 320k EADs - the others may not want EAD right away or could be kids less than 14 years old.
The calculations below is not to scare anyone but it may very well a reality. Based on the assumptions below, some people may have to wait up to 20 months to get a EAD card: Ouch!
A Total I-485 Applicants: 750000 Applicants
B Each EAD processing time: 5 Minutes
C Total processing hrs: 62500 Hours
(Calculations: AxB/60)
D Daily productive Hours: 5 Hours
(It is a government body!)
E Total Man Days (Business Days): 12500 Man Days
(Calculations: C/D)
F EAD Workforce: 30 People
G Total Business Days: 417 Days
(Calculations: E/F)
H Average Business Days in a month: 21 Days
I Total Clearing Time : 20 Months
(Calculations: G/I)
Here's my estimate regarding the expected I-485 filings for July 2007 based on the approved LC petition data provided by DOL. See link below (Thanks ! DreamGC)
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pPp-1fPOWrpRSbOSVaat9ew
LC Approvals (Expected 485 filings in July 2007)
2007: 50000(50000) Estimated since data unavailabe
2006: 79782 (79782)
2005: 6133 (6133)
2004: 43582 (34866) 80% will file in July, 20% filed earlier
2003: 62912 (31456) 50% will file in July. The rest filed earlier.
2002: 79784 (Nil) Since more than 95% would have filed 485 earlier.
I am ignoring anything before 2002.
If you add up the numbers in parentheses the total is 202,236 - primary applicants. Assuming an average family size of 2 gives us 404,472 give or take 10%
I would say 80% of the 400k people may apply for EAD - that still makes it 320k EADs - the others may not want EAD right away or could be kids less than 14 years old.
Humhongekamyab
04-30 02:25 PM
It is 2.25 pm and I still can't access the webcast. It was working fine 1h ago or so...
Now why would they start the webcast for you at 2:25 when the scheduled hearing is at 2:30.
Now why would they start the webcast for you at 2:25 when the scheduled hearing is at 2:30.
more...
ajju
09-04 12:28 PM
Had anybody have to send Driving License for filing extention of h1b?
I am not understanding if sending DL is an issue or your concern is just over why USCIS is even asking for it?? USCIS does lot of things in unexpected way.. so I won't be surprised...
I am not understanding if sending DL is an issue or your concern is just over why USCIS is even asking for it?? USCIS does lot of things in unexpected way.. so I won't be surprised...
2010 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero convertible
9years
11-08 06:18 PM
My company filed labor application on 13th September 2010 and it was approved on 2nd November 2010. Now getting ready for I-140. I thought I will share this info with the forum
Congrats on your Perm Labor Approval and Best of Luck on I-140.
Congrats on your Perm Labor Approval and Best of Luck on I-140.
more...
rustamehind
07-24 03:03 PM
I don't know much about the process, I just came to America less than 1 year back, but I know my lawyer was supposed to mail application to reach on July 2, 2007 instead he made a mistake to reach on June 29, 2007 because he said July 1, 2007 was a Sunday so he would rather be early than late. USCIS accepted and receipted me.
I am the manager in my brother's gas station in LA. He got a investor visa when he came from Punjab but now he is citizen. I am on EB3. I have Bachelors in Business Administration from Panjab University in Chandigarh. I can't be EB1 or EB2, I barely made it through college :D
Paaji , Hope your are not from Punjab Police.Everyone is scared of them , that might be the reason , why your application was pocessed out of turn.:D
Just kidding , N'joy man , you are one lucky guy.
I am the manager in my brother's gas station in LA. He got a investor visa when he came from Punjab but now he is citizen. I am on EB3. I have Bachelors in Business Administration from Panjab University in Chandigarh. I can't be EB1 or EB2, I barely made it through college :D
Paaji , Hope your are not from Punjab Police.Everyone is scared of them , that might be the reason , why your application was pocessed out of turn.:D
Just kidding , N'joy man , you are one lucky guy.
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nyte_crawler
09-02 02:22 PM
More than 7 years in I 485 pending status. :confused:
more...
sparky_jones
03-04 11:27 AM
Is your case at NSC? I have definitely noticed a pattern of pre-adjudcation activity from NSC for cases filed in July-August 2007.
hot SAAB 9-3 2.0HOT Aero
ChalapathiChitturi
12-27 03:27 AM
My case is not yet approved, I Filed on Aug 01 st, Vermont Service Center.
Can you really go for H1 stamping when you are coming back on AP.
As far as I know, you should not use H1 at port of entry while coming back, if you do that your green card will be aboundend. Gurus please currect.
If you are not coming back on H1, then why are you going for stamping?
Can you really go for H1 stamping when you are coming back on AP.
As far as I know, you should not use H1 at port of entry while coming back, if you do that your green card will be aboundend. Gurus please currect.
If you are not coming back on H1, then why are you going for stamping?
more...
house 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero convertible
needhelp!
03-12 01:28 PM
Here is my point. I spend several hours 3-4 hours at least every day looking through the forum posts hoping to find ways i can contribute to efforts.
You should find ways to participate if you click on the orange Action Alerts link.
Also, click on "Advocacy" and "Volunteer" in the blue menu bar at the top of every page. You will find TONS of things to do on an ongoing basis.
Did you:
Join your state chapter?
Send letters for FOIA campaign?
Send letters on the spate of I-485 denials?
Send letters to Senators regarding Housing Crisis?
Participate in Team IV?
All links are available under action alerts and first post of each of those threads has all the relevant information. I am not sure what other information you are seeking.
You should find ways to participate if you click on the orange Action Alerts link.
Also, click on "Advocacy" and "Volunteer" in the blue menu bar at the top of every page. You will find TONS of things to do on an ongoing basis.
Did you:
Join your state chapter?
Send letters for FOIA campaign?
Send letters on the spate of I-485 denials?
Send letters to Senators regarding Housing Crisis?
Participate in Team IV?
All links are available under action alerts and first post of each of those threads has all the relevant information. I am not sure what other information you are seeking.
tattoo SAAB 9-3 2.0HOT Aero
Totoro
05-02 10:09 AM
Not everybody on this forum earns 144,000 a year. What world are you living in my friend? Do you not get out that often?
I agree.
Many of the military families affected only earn $25,000. I find it repugnant when
someone shows how little he cares about his fellow human beings.
I agree.
Many of the military families affected only earn $25,000. I find it repugnant when
someone shows how little he cares about his fellow human beings.
more...
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ss1026
05-31 02:10 PM
Did get solved by Andrew Wiles in in the mid-nineties. To read about the history and drama behind this theorem, I suggest reading 'Fermat's Enigma' by Simon Singh. So I guess if that can be solved, PBEC could find a way out for all of us.
dresses 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero convertible
ANGEL
07-30 02:24 AM
Hey all,
hope you guys have visited the IV physicians blogspot.It is very good.One of the bloggers mentioned about supporting such a move, but the question is how do we start.I myself is technlogically challenged so we have to get the expertise of the IT people.I think we should start now.
hope you guys have visited the IV physicians blogspot.It is very good.One of the bloggers mentioned about supporting such a move, but the question is how do we start.I myself is technlogically challenged so we have to get the expertise of the IT people.I think we should start now.
more...
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priti8888
07-23 03:30 PM
my PD were current in 2005.
One thing is confirmed:
When PD are "current" they approve cases based on RD.
My guess is in Oct or Nov 2007 PD would retrogress to jan/may-2004 for EB3 India. So hang in there guys!!..They will approve a lot of cases with older RD by Sept 30. They are hell bent on not wasting any visa numbers henceforth.
One thing is confirmed:
When PD are "current" they approve cases based on RD.
My guess is in Oct or Nov 2007 PD would retrogress to jan/may-2004 for EB3 India. So hang in there guys!!..They will approve a lot of cases with older RD by Sept 30. They are hell bent on not wasting any visa numbers henceforth.
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akv123
07-20 06:10 PM
The numbers are assumptions and NOT facts. Most of these numbers have actually been pulled from other places or based on some rationale (for example 750,000 from Matthew Oh site, 5 minutes/EAD based on what need to be done to print out a card and pack in an envelop)
Workforce of 30 though is a gross assumption. Bigger the number better it is. So we may actually want to question USCIS if there are any resource constraints.
Outsourcing is a perfect Idea! What do you have in mind Wipro at Banglore? :D
What about bringing on H1B fresh graduates as Visa Processing Experts with a two days of Boot Camp Training? Anyway, we are forgetting that USCIS processed 25000 applications in 2 days. Please do not undermine efficiency we have seen in last days -- with that rate, I expect everything to get cleared in few weeks. If improved productivity is maintained/sustained to this level, I do not see any chance for outsourcing or bring H1B guys to this country. Best luck America!
Workforce of 30 though is a gross assumption. Bigger the number better it is. So we may actually want to question USCIS if there are any resource constraints.
Outsourcing is a perfect Idea! What do you have in mind Wipro at Banglore? :D
What about bringing on H1B fresh graduates as Visa Processing Experts with a two days of Boot Camp Training? Anyway, we are forgetting that USCIS processed 25000 applications in 2 days. Please do not undermine efficiency we have seen in last days -- with that rate, I expect everything to get cleared in few weeks. If improved productivity is maintained/sustained to this level, I do not see any chance for outsourcing or bring H1B guys to this country. Best luck America!
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starone
10-21 11:18 AM
I have sent the email to Cisombudsman and will update the poll also.
pappu
08-12 10:55 AM
Senate Passage of Border Security Legislation
August 12, 2010
Today, I come to the floor to seek unanimous consent to pass a smart, tough, and effective $600 million bill that will significantly enhance the security and integrity of our nation’s southern border—which currently lacks the resources needed to fully combat the drug smugglers, gun-runners, human-traffickers, money launderers and other organized criminals that seek to do harm to innocent Americans along our border….
The best part of this border package, Mr. President, is that it is fully paid for and does not increase the deficit by a single penny. In actuality, the Congressional Budget Office has determined that this bill will yield a direct savings to taxpayers of $50 million….
The emergency border funds we are passing today are fully paid for by assessing fees on certain types of companies who hire foreign workers using certain types of visas in a way that Congress did not intend. I want to take a moment to explain exactly what we are doing in this bill a little further because I want everyone to clearly understand how these offsets are designed.
In 1990, Congress realized that the world was changing rapidly and that technological innovations like the internet were creating a high demand in the United States for high-tech workers to create new technologies and products. Consequently, Congress created the H-1B visa program to allow U.S. employers to hire foreign tech workers in special circumstances when they could not find an American citizen who was qualified for the job.
Many of the companies that use this program today are using the program in the exact way Congress intended. That is, these companies (like Microsoft, IBM, and Intel) are hiring bright foreign students educated in our American universities to work in the U.S. for 6 or 7 years to invent new product lines and technologies so that Microsoft, IBM, and Intel can sell more products to the American public. Then—at the expiration of the H-1B visa period—these companies apply for these talented workers to earn green cards and stay with the company.
When the H-1B visa program is used in this manner, it is a good program for everyone involved. It is good for the company. It is good for the worker. And it is good for the American people who benefit from the products and jobs created by the innovation of the H-1B visa holder.
Every day, companies like Oracle, Cisco, Apple and others use the H-1B visa program in the exact way I have just described—and their use of the program has greatly benefitted this country.
But recently, some companies have decided to exploit an unintended loophole in the H-1B visa program to use the program in a manner that many in Congress, including myself, do not believe is consistent with the program’s intent.
Rather than being a company that makes something, and simply needs to bring in a talented foreign worker to help innovate and create new products and technologies—these other companies are essentially creating “multinational temp agencies” that were never contemplated when the H-1B program was created.
The business model of these newer companies is not to make any new products or technologies like Microsoft or Apple does. Instead, their business model is to bring foreign tech workers into the United States who are willing to accept less pay than their American counterparts, place these workers into other companies in exchange for a “consulting fee,” and transfer these workers from company to company in order to maximize profits from placement fees. In other words, these companies are petitioning for foreign workers simply to then turn around and provide these same workers to other companies who need cheap labor for various short term projects.
Don’t take my word for it. If you look at the marketing materials of some of the companies that fall within the scope covered by today’s legislation, their materials boast about their “outsourcing expertise” and say that their advantage is their ability to conduct what they call “labor arbitrage” which is—in their own words—“transferring work functions to a lower cost environment for increased savings.”
The business model used by these companies within the United States is creating three major negative side effects. First, it is ruining the reputation of the H-1B program, which is overwhelmingly used by good actors for beneficial purposes. Second, according to the Economic Policy institute, it is lowering the wages for American tech workers already in the marketplace. Third, it is also discouraging many of our smartest students from entering the technology industry in the first place. Students can see that paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for advanced schooling is not worth the cost when the market is being flooded with foreign temporary workers willing to do tech-work for far less pay because their foreign education was much cheaper and they intend to move back home when their visa expires to a country where the cost of living is far less expensive.
This type of use of the H-1B visa program will be addressed as part of comprehensive immigration reform and will likely be dramatically restricted. We will be reforming the legal immigration system to encourage the world’s best and brightest individuals to come to the United States and create the new technologies and businesses that will employ countless American workers, but will discourage businesses from using our immigration laws as a means to obtain temporary and less-expensive foreign labor to replace capable American workers.
Nevertheless, I do wish to clarify a previous mischaracterization of these firms, where I labeled them as “chop shops.” That statement was incorrect, and I wish to acknowledge that. In the tech industry, these firms are sometimes known as “body shops” and that’s what I should have said.
While I strongly oppose the manner in which these firms are using the H-1B visa to accomplish objectives that Congress never intended, it would be unfortunate if anyone concluded from my remarks that these firms are engaging in illegal behavior.
But I also want to make clear that the purpose of this fee is not to target businesses from any particular country. Many news articles have reported that the only companies that will be affected by this fee are companies based in India and that, ipso facto, the purpose of this legislation must be to target Indian IT companies.
Well, it is simply untrue that the purpose of this legislation is to target Indian companies. We are simply raising fees for businesses who use the H-1B visa to do things that are contrary to the program’s original intent.
Visa fees will only increase for companies with more than 50 workers who continue to employ more than 50 percent of their employees through the H-1B program. Congress does not want the H-1B visa program to be a vehicle for creating multinational temp agencies where workers do not know what projects they will be working on—or what cities they will be working in—when they enter the country.
The fee is based solely upon the business model of the company, not the location of the company.
If you are using the H-1B visa to innovate new products and technologies for your own company to sell, that is a good thing regardless of whether the company was originally founded in India, Ireland, or Indiana.
But if you are using the H-1B visa to run a glorified international temp agency for tech workers in contravention of the spirit of the program, I and my colleagues believe that you should have to pay a higher fee to ensure that American workers are not losing their jobs because of unintended uses of the visa program that were never contemplated when the program was created.
This belief is consistent regardless of whether the company using these staffing practices was founded in Bangalore, Beijing, or Boston.
Raising the fees for companies hiring more than 50 percent of their workforce through foreign visas will accomplish two important goals. First, it will provide the necessary funds to secure our border without raising taxes or adding to the deficit. Second, it will level the playing field for American workers so that they do not lose out on good jobs here in America because it is cheaper to bring in a foreign worker rather than hire an American worker.
Let me tell you what objective folks around the world are saying about the impact of this fee increase. In an August 6, 2010, Wall Street Journal article, Avinash Vashistha—the CEO of a Bangalore based off-shoring advisory consulting firm—told the Journal that the new fee in this bill “would accelerate Indian firms’ plans to hire more American-born workers in the U.S.” What’s wrong with that? In an August 7, 2010 Economic Times Article, Jeya Kumar, a CEO of a top IT company, said that this bill would “erode cost arbitrage and cause a change in the operational model of Indian offshore providers.”
The leaders of this business model are agreeing that our bill will make it more expensive to bring in foreign tech workers to compete with American tech workers for jobs here in America. That means these companies are going to start having to hire U.S. tech workers again.
So Mr. President, this bill is not only a responsible border security bill, it has the dual advantage of creating more high-paying American jobs.
Finally, Mr. President, I want to be clear about one other thing. Even though passing this bill will secure our border, I again say that the only way to fully restore the rule of law to our entire immigration system is by passing comprehensive immigration reform….
The urgency for immigration reform cannot be overstated because it is so overdue. The time for excuses is now over, it is now time to get to work.
August 12, 2010
Today, I come to the floor to seek unanimous consent to pass a smart, tough, and effective $600 million bill that will significantly enhance the security and integrity of our nation’s southern border—which currently lacks the resources needed to fully combat the drug smugglers, gun-runners, human-traffickers, money launderers and other organized criminals that seek to do harm to innocent Americans along our border….
The best part of this border package, Mr. President, is that it is fully paid for and does not increase the deficit by a single penny. In actuality, the Congressional Budget Office has determined that this bill will yield a direct savings to taxpayers of $50 million….
The emergency border funds we are passing today are fully paid for by assessing fees on certain types of companies who hire foreign workers using certain types of visas in a way that Congress did not intend. I want to take a moment to explain exactly what we are doing in this bill a little further because I want everyone to clearly understand how these offsets are designed.
In 1990, Congress realized that the world was changing rapidly and that technological innovations like the internet were creating a high demand in the United States for high-tech workers to create new technologies and products. Consequently, Congress created the H-1B visa program to allow U.S. employers to hire foreign tech workers in special circumstances when they could not find an American citizen who was qualified for the job.
Many of the companies that use this program today are using the program in the exact way Congress intended. That is, these companies (like Microsoft, IBM, and Intel) are hiring bright foreign students educated in our American universities to work in the U.S. for 6 or 7 years to invent new product lines and technologies so that Microsoft, IBM, and Intel can sell more products to the American public. Then—at the expiration of the H-1B visa period—these companies apply for these talented workers to earn green cards and stay with the company.
When the H-1B visa program is used in this manner, it is a good program for everyone involved. It is good for the company. It is good for the worker. And it is good for the American people who benefit from the products and jobs created by the innovation of the H-1B visa holder.
Every day, companies like Oracle, Cisco, Apple and others use the H-1B visa program in the exact way I have just described—and their use of the program has greatly benefitted this country.
But recently, some companies have decided to exploit an unintended loophole in the H-1B visa program to use the program in a manner that many in Congress, including myself, do not believe is consistent with the program’s intent.
Rather than being a company that makes something, and simply needs to bring in a talented foreign worker to help innovate and create new products and technologies—these other companies are essentially creating “multinational temp agencies” that were never contemplated when the H-1B program was created.
The business model of these newer companies is not to make any new products or technologies like Microsoft or Apple does. Instead, their business model is to bring foreign tech workers into the United States who are willing to accept less pay than their American counterparts, place these workers into other companies in exchange for a “consulting fee,” and transfer these workers from company to company in order to maximize profits from placement fees. In other words, these companies are petitioning for foreign workers simply to then turn around and provide these same workers to other companies who need cheap labor for various short term projects.
Don’t take my word for it. If you look at the marketing materials of some of the companies that fall within the scope covered by today’s legislation, their materials boast about their “outsourcing expertise” and say that their advantage is their ability to conduct what they call “labor arbitrage” which is—in their own words—“transferring work functions to a lower cost environment for increased savings.”
The business model used by these companies within the United States is creating three major negative side effects. First, it is ruining the reputation of the H-1B program, which is overwhelmingly used by good actors for beneficial purposes. Second, according to the Economic Policy institute, it is lowering the wages for American tech workers already in the marketplace. Third, it is also discouraging many of our smartest students from entering the technology industry in the first place. Students can see that paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for advanced schooling is not worth the cost when the market is being flooded with foreign temporary workers willing to do tech-work for far less pay because their foreign education was much cheaper and they intend to move back home when their visa expires to a country where the cost of living is far less expensive.
This type of use of the H-1B visa program will be addressed as part of comprehensive immigration reform and will likely be dramatically restricted. We will be reforming the legal immigration system to encourage the world’s best and brightest individuals to come to the United States and create the new technologies and businesses that will employ countless American workers, but will discourage businesses from using our immigration laws as a means to obtain temporary and less-expensive foreign labor to replace capable American workers.
Nevertheless, I do wish to clarify a previous mischaracterization of these firms, where I labeled them as “chop shops.” That statement was incorrect, and I wish to acknowledge that. In the tech industry, these firms are sometimes known as “body shops” and that’s what I should have said.
While I strongly oppose the manner in which these firms are using the H-1B visa to accomplish objectives that Congress never intended, it would be unfortunate if anyone concluded from my remarks that these firms are engaging in illegal behavior.
But I also want to make clear that the purpose of this fee is not to target businesses from any particular country. Many news articles have reported that the only companies that will be affected by this fee are companies based in India and that, ipso facto, the purpose of this legislation must be to target Indian IT companies.
Well, it is simply untrue that the purpose of this legislation is to target Indian companies. We are simply raising fees for businesses who use the H-1B visa to do things that are contrary to the program’s original intent.
Visa fees will only increase for companies with more than 50 workers who continue to employ more than 50 percent of their employees through the H-1B program. Congress does not want the H-1B visa program to be a vehicle for creating multinational temp agencies where workers do not know what projects they will be working on—or what cities they will be working in—when they enter the country.
The fee is based solely upon the business model of the company, not the location of the company.
If you are using the H-1B visa to innovate new products and technologies for your own company to sell, that is a good thing regardless of whether the company was originally founded in India, Ireland, or Indiana.
But if you are using the H-1B visa to run a glorified international temp agency for tech workers in contravention of the spirit of the program, I and my colleagues believe that you should have to pay a higher fee to ensure that American workers are not losing their jobs because of unintended uses of the visa program that were never contemplated when the program was created.
This belief is consistent regardless of whether the company using these staffing practices was founded in Bangalore, Beijing, or Boston.
Raising the fees for companies hiring more than 50 percent of their workforce through foreign visas will accomplish two important goals. First, it will provide the necessary funds to secure our border without raising taxes or adding to the deficit. Second, it will level the playing field for American workers so that they do not lose out on good jobs here in America because it is cheaper to bring in a foreign worker rather than hire an American worker.
Let me tell you what objective folks around the world are saying about the impact of this fee increase. In an August 6, 2010, Wall Street Journal article, Avinash Vashistha—the CEO of a Bangalore based off-shoring advisory consulting firm—told the Journal that the new fee in this bill “would accelerate Indian firms’ plans to hire more American-born workers in the U.S.” What’s wrong with that? In an August 7, 2010 Economic Times Article, Jeya Kumar, a CEO of a top IT company, said that this bill would “erode cost arbitrage and cause a change in the operational model of Indian offshore providers.”
The leaders of this business model are agreeing that our bill will make it more expensive to bring in foreign tech workers to compete with American tech workers for jobs here in America. That means these companies are going to start having to hire U.S. tech workers again.
So Mr. President, this bill is not only a responsible border security bill, it has the dual advantage of creating more high-paying American jobs.
Finally, Mr. President, I want to be clear about one other thing. Even though passing this bill will secure our border, I again say that the only way to fully restore the rule of law to our entire immigration system is by passing comprehensive immigration reform….
The urgency for immigration reform cannot be overstated because it is so overdue. The time for excuses is now over, it is now time to get to work.
ragz4u
03-09 09:36 AM
Title 1 amendments are done and have moved to Title 2 for discussion. The ones important to us is in Title 4,5.
Any links to the amendment titles?
Any links to the amendment titles?
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