Thread: Rep. Rothman betrays American Workers re:H-1B visa fee hike

Look at this NJ Rep fighting to lower a visa fee and thus make it easier and more profitable to import foreign workers to the US at a time of record unemployment!

'H-1B visa fee hike impacting US firms too'

WASHINGTON: The increase in H-1B and L1 visa fee by US Congress to fund enhanced border security measures, which was basically intended to have financial implications on Indian companies, is impacting American firms too, a key Democratic Congressman has said, highlighting the need to fix this.

"Mr Speaker, I rise to bring to your attention an unintended consequence brought on when we enacted last year's emergency supplemental appropriations bill to fund additional border resources--HR6080, the Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act," Congressman Steven R Rothman said on the floor of the House of Representatives.

This bill, the New Jersey congressman said, was fully paid for by imposing additional fees for new H-1B and L-1 visas on a select group of companies.

Specifically, the companies impacted are those with more than 50 employees; and with a US workforce in which more than 50 per cent are on a professional temporary visa - basically the H-1B and L-1 visas.

"While, I applaud the intent of this provision to incentivise job creation at home, I would like to express my concern about the implementation of the additional visa fees. These fees were meant to be targeted at companies who utilise H-1B and L-1 visas at very high levels for the purpose of building their employees' proficiencies in IT, so that they can take this knowledge and the work back to their home countries," he noted.

"It turns out, however, that some US companies are being impacted by these fee increases because many of their professionals are stuck in green card backlogs and in the meantime remain in temporary visa status," Rothman said.

The Congressman noted that in his remarks at the time of Senate passage of HR 6080, Senator Charles Schumer commented that, when the H-1B visa programme is used as a stepping-stone for skilled immigrants to obtain permanent resident status, it is "a good programme 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."

"I agree with Senator Schumer's remarks, and encourage my colleagues to work with me on a technical fix that would ensure that the implementation of this bill is consistent with these policy goals," he said.

"The clearest way to achieve these goals would be to exempt from the so-called '50/50' calculation any H-1B or L-1 worker who has sought to acquire permanent residence by taking steps to file or is the beneficiary of a pending or approved application for alien employment certification with the Department of Labour, or a pending or approved immigrant petition with US Citizenship and Immigration Services," Rothman said.

Those H-1B and L-1 workers are best defined as 'intending immigrants,' as they relinquish their non-immigrant intent when their employers pursue a Green Card application on their behalf, he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech ... 722148.cms

Yeah,

My point of view is:

And if DIVERSITY IS SO MAGNIFICENT,why are not all the countries of the world, doing the same thing? Why is it only here at home Where in this world do you find such a diverse population and then told this is a GREAT THING.

But yet they make such laws as HATE CRIMES!

And why are the JOBS STILL LEAVING,this country, if this is such a great thing (diversity)?

Appears politicians such as this are spreading THE WEALTH OF THIS NATION AROUND,and then leaving us (citizens) to fend for ourselves.

Sorry Democrats but this nation is now full to capacity at well over 300 Million..
OverPopulation and Overcrowding are now an immediate and dangerous threat to these United States and its citizens and legal residents. Rationing of everything from healthcare, to food, to fuel and energy, to open space , and even jobs, has begun and we must take this into account when determining how many immigrants we are going to let into this nation. This flow of immigrants must now be drastically cut back in order to preserve what little remaining resources we have left.

If you are so progressive than you had better take your heads out of your arses and look ahead to see what the future is. The future is OVERPOPULATION and SHORTAGES and they are very near. We MUST plan ahead NOW...

The time has come for Real Change, if it isnt overdue even.

Shut down the Immigration industry now with exception to the higher skilled professionals that are needed. This shift will be painful to those who make a living off the Immigration industry, but it is necessary...

I don't see us needing any foreign highly skilled professionals unless it's another Einstein, and we have the O visa for that. Cisco just announced layoffs, and when Microsoft had layoffs earlier, they kept the H-1Bs and let the Americans go. Here in America.