US Inc puts its case for more H-1 B visas, green cards

The US industry has once again come out in full force demanding that highly skilled workers on non-immigrant H-1 B visas be given employment-based immigrant visas or green cards.

At a hearing before the committee on judiciary of the US House of Representatives, emissaries of industry bodies such as Semiconductor Industry Association, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Legal Immigrant Association, NAFSA—Association of International Educators, and healthcare companies argued for the need to facilitate green cards for highly-skilled workers.

Broadly, they argued that the US faces a crunch of skilled workforce, and if industry is to maintain its pre-eminent position , it has to have access to the best minds from across the globe. On the other hand, representatives from the American Nurses Association and the union, AFL-CIO , argued that immigration was not a solution to problem.

This hearing was conducted as the House of Representatives is considering as many as four bills, each advocating facilitating the move from a non-immigrant to immigrant status for highly-skilled workers . Of the bills pending before the House, three have been moved by Representative Zoe Lofragen, while the fourth bill, which focuses on facilitating the entry of foreign nurses, has been introduced by Representative Robert Wexler.

Besides, there are three other legislations — McCaul-Kennedy legislation, Lamar Smith’s SUSTAIN Act, and Gabrielle Gifford’s Innovation Employment Act — each of which suggests raising the annual cap of H-1 B visas and green cards and exempting those with Masters’ degrees or PhDs from US universities from the annual H-1 B cap.

Despite support for facilitating the entry of foreign skilled workers into the US, whether as temporary residents or as immigrants, it is unlikely that any of these legislations will see light of the day. All bills in the US House of Representatives will lapse when the Congress adjourns sine die on October 1.

The term of the US Congress is two years, with a new session beginning on January 3 of an odd-numbered year. On January 3, 2009, the 111th session of the US Congress will be convened. Before October 1, Congress would be in recess for what is known as the summer district work period, a time when representatives and senators spend time in their districts.

This period started on July 26 and ends on September 3, when Congress reconvenes. Given that this is the year of presidential elections, there is no possibility of a session between October 1 and January 3, unless there is an emergency.