http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3881217.html
May 23, 2006, 12:56AM

Cornyn's focus on skilled workers
Immigration bill should allow visas according to level of ability, he says

By GEBE MARTINEZ
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - As the Senate tackled temporary visas for agriculture laborers Monday, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, suggested that Congress focus on highly educated foreign workers who presumably would need fewer government services.

Cornyn pushed for provisions in an immigration bill to raise the cap on so-called H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, exempt from the limits any professionals who earned a post-graduate degree from an American university and reduce the federal paperwork for their employers.

"Most of the debate so far seems to have been about low-skilled, relatively poorly educated individuals," Cornyn said during a news conference. "But unfortunately they are also likely to be more often the beneficiaries of welfare services and other government services that cost taxpayers money."

Cornyn said more visas for "the best and the brightest" — those with advanced degrees in science, engineering and math — "will help America remain competitive in this new global economy." Cornyn's plan also would make it easier for relatives of legal immigrants to rejoin their families in the U.S.

The H-1B visa cap is 65,000 a year. At the urging of businesses looking for foreign-born skilled workers, Congress temporarily raised the cap to 195,000 for each year from 2001 to 2003.

The Senate's comprehensive immigration bill recommends raising the cap to 115,000 and allowing adjustments based on market needs. Cornyn's similar plan ensures that 57 percent of all visas will go to high-skilled workers; the Senate's pending bill would set aside 30 percent of all visas for this category.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups list the H-1B visa increase as a top priority.

"Artificial caps on the category hurt U.S. competitiveness, allowing other countries to hire these talented individuals or forcing U.S. companies to locate projects where key personnel are based," the Chamber of Commerce said.

Some unions want the caps preserved, saying that the employment of more skilled workers from other countries drives down wages and lessens job opportunities for skilled U.S. workers displaced by the shrinking of some high-tech companies.

On a related issue, the Senate rejected an amendment Monday that would have dismantled a carefully negotiated agreement between agribusiness and workers' groups for a short-term, tiered wage scale. Critics of the amendment, which was introduced by opponents of a compromise immigration bill, said it would lower pay for such immigrants.

The proposed change, which failed 50-43, would have required 1.5 million agricultural workers in a new "blue card" program, to be paid the prevailing wage in local communities or the minimum wage, whichever is higher. Some states and cities set their minimum wage higher than the national standard.

As the Senate moves to wrap up work on the immigration overhaul this week, with a test vote set for Wednesday, key debates will center on proposals to let future temporary workers and the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States eventually apply for permanent legal status and then citizenship after meeting certain conditions.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, wants temporary worker visas only for the agriculture, service and construction industries, a position likely to be opposed by bipartisan sponsors of the Senate bill. They do not want the visas limited to specific industries.

Under Hutchison's proposal, temporary work visas would last a maximum of 10 months, renewable annually after the worker has returned home. It does not include an opportunity for citizenship.

The Senate also voted 83-10 Monday to state that the 6,000 National Guard troops sent to the U.S.-Mexico border will fill only support roles during the next two years pending the training of more border patrol agents.

The House immigration bill contains no guest worker or citizenship programs. Negotiators from each chamber would try to reconcile differences with a Senate bill.

gebe.martinez@chron.com