H-1b visas - Skilled workers out of luck as visa cap reached

Skilled workers out of luck as visa cap reached
Wed Apr 4, 2007 3:43pm ET20


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Skilled foreign workers, who often seek employment in the high tech industry, can no longer apply for a visa to work in the United States after the government reached its quota for applications in just one day, authorities said on Wednesday.

The Citizenship and Immigration Services received more than 150,000 applications for the H-1B visa on Monday, a record that nearly doubled the number that can be granted for the fiscal year beginning October 1.

The visa is good for up to six years.

The government will grant 65,000 visas to those who hold the equivalent of an undergraduate degree and possess the technical expertise in a specialized field, such as engineering and computer programming. Another 20,000 visas will go to those with advanced academic degrees who also have technical expertise.

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The agency will review the petitions to ensure that all applications are correct. After that, applications will be compiled and individuals will be chosen by a computerized lottery system.

"It's a very fair process, so everyone who submitted their application has the same shot," Chris Rhatigan, a spokeswoman with the immigration agency said on Wednesday. "This process could take couple of weeks and then they will notify the individuals."

Rhatigan was unable to say how soon the visas would be issued due to the volume of applications the agency received.

Last year, the cap was reached at the end of May.

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
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Last year the H1B quota took two months to fill, this year it only took one day. Businesses want that cheap foreign labor more now than ever. I wonder if overseas outsourcing has increased at the same rate.

If you listen close enough you can hear the sucking sound of jobs and dollars leaving our country!

This issue is very near and dear to me. It angers and frightens me every day.

It should frighten you and all americans, as the government and corporations want to increase the visas for skilled labor which in turn will take the middle class jobs from american workers. Lou Dobbs is certainly right in that the government is trying to wipe out the middle class. If we only have two classes rich and poor we will be like third world countries with the rich and corporations running the country and the population having no say whatsoever.

I've gotten to work with some of these so called "skilled" workers and let me tell you that they ain't any better, smarter, or skilled than American workers. They are just cheaper. In effect the workers wages in this country have been slashed because of the h1-b visa program.

I have worked with many of these skilled visa workers as well Dagmar and let me tell you they have nothing on american workers and they do have the language barrier as well. Most only speak basic english and often mispronounce words. As far as intelligence factor they have nothing on us. They are by no means "stars". These corporations just want cheaper warm bodies with the minimal skills to fill these positions and I mean minimal.

Keep in mind that schools are consistantly & incrementally giving away more and more American seats to foreign students.

By doing this over the past few decades, they've HELPED decrease the number of our skilled grads. This obviously has been planned in the pipeline for a very long time!!

So, not only are they yelling that we don't have ENOUGH AMERICANS, they've created the problem on purpose.

Soon, their cries will become reality and we have to stop it before we reach the crisis that they're trying to create.

These conglomerates don't want American workers, PERIOD!

And to add another layer on how we got in this situation, our trade deficit. Our contries output is allowed to be overtaxed, our input is undertaxed, that forces US businesses to cut costs to be competitive.

Not saying that is an excuse for big business, but it is another stab in the side of Americans that is allowed to happen by our elected officials. So we:

1. Allow our exports to be taxed higher than our imports

2. Educate immigrants at instate tuition rates to bump out US candidates

3. Claim "no skilled US workers" see #2

4. Offshore support/research/development of tech industry due to 65k 6 year term visas annually not being enough to feed big business.

5. Overtax our hardworking US citizens to pay for #2 above, as well as various social services for illegal immigrants that come here and take our skilled laborer and trade specific jobs.

Illegal Immigration is one of my hot ticket items...but its just one piece of the general sellout of the American worker (ME) that I see getting worse every day!

DUECE

keep in mind that WITHOUT an AMNESTY by any name, these plans canNOT come into fruition.

That is the very reason why this ILLEGAL invasion is first on the list. Stopping it will halt everything. It's the very reason why this administration, congress and big business en toto is working so damned hard at pushing it through. They know exactly what's at stake for them!

They know their asses are dead grass without AMNESTY.

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