articles about Governor's Petition and protest in DC

Date: Thursday, September 13, 2007 4:45 AM

<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1756 -- 9/13/2007 >>>>>

So far immigration reform groups and H-1B activists have been indifferent to
the fact that at the same time 13 Governors are sending a petition to Congress
to increase H-1B, a protest will take place in Washington DC by dissident H-
1Bs and other radical open-border groups. Also at the same time corporations
will initiate a major new lobbying campaign to increase H-1B and green card
visas.

So far labor groups and immigration reformists simply don't seem to take these
events seriously, or even more scary -- they still don't know what is going
on! Ignoring these events could be a big mistake.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201805836

Governors Send Letter Urging Congress To Raise H-1B Visa Cap

A bi-partisan group of 13 governors told Congress that more visas for foreign
workers are needed to ensure economic growth and innovation.

By Marianne Kolbasuk McGee, InformationWeek Sept. 12, 2007

Just when it seemed that the prospect of raising the H-1B visa cap looked
improbable this year, a bi-partisan group of 13 governors is urging Congress
to resume those discussions now.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Senate and House of Representative minority and
majority leaders, the 13 governors urge Congress to act this year on raising
the cap, despite "wholesale immigration reform" not being possible in the
current Congress.

Proposals for raising the visa cap from a current total of 85,000 to 115,000
annually appeared to be a causality of Congress' failed comprehensive
immigration reform bill this summer. In the letter, the governors -- many from
states with large tech-related industries -- remind Congress that the H-1B
"supply ran out on the first day of the filing period" this year. The U.S.
begins accepting applications for H-1B visas on April 1 for issuance in the
next fiscal year starting Oct. 1. This year, within two days, the U.S.
received nearly double the requests for H-1B visas than can be issued. H-1B
visa is the most popular visa used to allow foreign technologists to work in
the U.S.

"If states like ours are to remain world leaders in innovation and intend to
continue to see the job growth that is so vital to our economies, we must keep
our employers in our states and ensure there is a skilled workforce in this
country to fill their immediate needs," says the letter signed by governors
including Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts,
Rick Perry of Texas, Chris Gregoire of Washington, and Elliot Spitzer of New
York.

The other governors signing the letter include Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, Mitch
Daniels of Indiana, Bill Ritter of Colorado, Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming,
Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Jim Gibbons of Nevada, Kathleen Sebelius of
Kansas, and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.

Until now, members of Congress have been pressured to raise the H-1B cap
primarily by tech companies and industry lobbyists. The organized push by a
group of governors is new.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/sep2007/db20070911_591357.htm

Top News September 11, 2007, 8:53PM EST text size: TT High Drama Over Highly
Skilled Workers Governors and companies are pressuring Congress for
immigration reform for the most talented as visa workers plan a march in
Washington by Moira Herbst

After failing over the summer to pass legislation that would overhaul the
rules for all kinds of immigrants, Congress is gearing up to take on the
narrower task of reforming immigration laws for highly skilled workers. The
effort is less politically charged than comprehensive reform since it sets
aside the contentious issue of what to do with the estimated 12 million
illegal immigrants (BusinessWeek.com, 8/22/07) already in the U.S., and it
appears likely that some legislation will be passed. But there is opposition,
and the nature and degree of reform for the highly skilled remains unclear.

The latest push came Sept. 11, when 13 governors, including Arnold
Schwarzenegger of California and Christine Gregoire of Washington, sent a
letter to leaders in Congress urging them to take action on the issue. They
asked for more temporary visas and permanent green cards for skilled workers
from abroad to staff the companies in their states. "If states like ours are
to remain world leaders in innovation and intend to continue to see the job
growth that is so vital to our economies, we must keep our employers in our
states and ensure there is a skilled workforce in this country to fill their
immediate needs," they wrote.

The governors are adding their voices to a call by technology companies for
more talented workers from abroad. Oracle (ORCL), Google (GOOG), Microsoft
(MSFT), Motorola (MOT), Intel (INTC), and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) have joined
together in a lobbying group called Compete America that is pushing for
immigration reform for high-skilled workers. "We need an immigration policy
that adapts to the changing economy -- and one that not only helps fill jobs
but one that welcomes innovators who create jobs," says Robert Hoffman, a
spokesman for Oracle and co-chair of Compete America.

Top Execs Make the Case
The momentum has some leaders in Congress optimistic about the prospects for
substantial change. "I am increasingly thinking there is a greater willingness
to move forward on immigration reform," says Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-
Calif.), chair of the House subcommittee on immigration whose district
includes Silicon Valley.

Much is at stake for companies and workers on this front in the immigration
battle. Tech players say their ability to compete in the world economy depends
on their ability to recruit the best and brightest from anywhere.
This year, Microsoft and Google (BusinessWeek, 6/7/07) both sent top
executives to Washington to make their case, with no less than founder Bill
Gates making the trip (BusinessWeek, 3/8/07). "Simply put: It makes no sense
to tell well-trained, highly skilled individuals -- many of whom are educated
at our top colleges and universities"that the United States does not welcome
or value them," Gates said in his testimony.

American tech workers and their advocates feel just as strongly that their
futures are on the line. They contend that letting in more engineers and
programmers from India or China drives down wages for U.S. workers,
discourages kids from studying math and engineering, and ends up sending
American jobs abroad. Many of the proposed reforms would lead to "the
disappearance of jobs and the depression of wages," said Julie Kirchner,
director of government policy for the nonprofit group FAIR (Federation for
American Immigration Reform), in congressional testimony.

Taking to the Streets
What would reform look like? It's impossible to know so early in the process.
But the most likely outcome is an increase in temporary and permanent permits
for highly skilled workers, along with a tightening of the criteria for doling
out those permits. On Sept. 6, the House held a hearing on a bill called
STRIVE (or, the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy
Act of 2007), which includes a provision to hike the number of temporary
visas--known as "H-1Bs (BusinessWeek.com, 7/19/07)--to 115,000 from 65,000 per
year and add 150,000 more green cards to the current 140,000 yearly total.
STRIVE is unlikely to pass since it's a politically explosive comprehensive
bill, but its proposals for highly skilled workers may serve as a template for
further work.

Tech companies are getting some grassroots support. Immigrant advocates are
planning a march on Washington on Sept. 18 to call for more green cards for
those already in the U.S. on temporary work visas. "We want to increase the
profile of the issue which has been dodged for the last two years," says Aman
Kapoor, founder of Immigration Voice, a visa workers' advocacy group.
"We'll be physically present in Washington so the message is loud and
clear: We have waited patiently, and it's time for a relief package for high-
skilled immigrants."

Kapoor expects thousands of tech workers from across the country to converge
in Washington next week, and members of his group are busy preparing dozens of
new slogans and hundreds of placards for the event.
Immigration Voice is hoping to build on the success of a related campaign in
July (BusinessWeek, 7/17/07). Kapoor's group is calling for Congress to raise
the annual cap on green cards for permanent residency from the current 140,000
to 300,000. Currently about 500,000 high-skilled immigrants on H-1B visas are
waiting for green cards, a process that requires them to stay with the same
employer, often in the same job, for as long as eight years.

Still in Concept Mode
The key question is whether Congress can pass any immigration legislation
after the fiasco this summer over comprehensive reform (BusinessWeek, 7/8/07).
Tech companies are cautiously optimistic about immigration reform for the most
highly skilled. "Lawmakers are open to ideas, and there's a general
recognition that something needs to be done," says Hoffman of Compete America.
"But right now we are still very much in concept mode, and we're hoping for
the opportunity to sit down and define something."

To succeed, immigration reform will have to strike just the right balance
between tech companies and tech workers, between meaningful change and
political feasibility. No one doubts the importance of the effort.
"Personally, I think we need to do what we can to improve the legal system on
the high-tech part," says Lofgren. "If we don't, we'll likely see companies
forced to expand overseas instead of here."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Newsletter Homepage:
http://www.JobDestruction.com/shameh1b/JobDestructionNews.htm

Support this Newsletter and www.JobDestruction.com by donating:
www.zazona.com/Donations.htm

To Be removed from this mailing list, reply to this email with UNSUbSCRIBE in
the subject window

Back to archives