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NEWS CONTACTS:
Eric Thomas or Frances Cox
(202) 822-9491
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2005
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Compete America Supports Senate Judiciary
Committee Move to Provide Relief for Visa Shortage
Budget Measure Would Provide Interim
Solution to H-1B and Green Card Crisis
Washington, D.C. - Compete America endorsed the Senate Judiciary
Committee's approval today of a budget reconciliation measure
that would provide interim relief from the current crisis-level
shortage of H-1B and employment-based visas (green cards).
Compete America believes the package will give American employers
temporary, but critical access to the talent needed for continued
innovation, job creation and economic expansion in the worldwide
economy, even thought the proposal was amended to halve the
number of "recaptured" H-1B visas allowed per year. In addition,
the measure would more than meet the full Judiciary Committee
budget reconciliation obligation of $300 million over five
years through increased license and applications fees.
"The relief provided by the Senate bill is a stop-gap measure
necessary to ensure that the United States has the ability
to attract and retain critical talent." said Sandra Boyd,
Vice President, National Association of Manufacturers and
Compete America Chair. "We are grateful to Chairman Specter
and Ranking Member Leahy for their leadership in moving the
Senate in the right direction on this issue. We look forward
to working with the House towards adoption of a similar measure."
Among the specifics of the measure approved today, the following
are critical to easing visa shortage, while raising significant
Federal revenue:
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The measure would "recapture" employment-based
(green card) immigrant visa numbers that were available by
statute but unused in previous years due to processing backlogs,
and make them available again at a rate of up to 90,000 per
year;
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The measure would provide that only employment-based immigrants,
and not their spouses and children, would count toward the
annual limit on employment-based immigration; and
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It would "recapture" H-1B visa numbers that were available
by statute but unused in previous years, and make them available
again at a rate of up to 30,000 per year.
"At no time in our nation's history has the door been as closed
to talent as it is today," said Lynn Shotwell, Executive Director
of the American Council on International Personnel. "The H-1B
visa quota for fiscal year 2006 was exhausted well before the
new fiscal year even began, and there are years-long backlogs
for green cards."
To illustrate the growing problem, Shotwell pointed to the
fact that from 2001 to 2004, 141,365 employment-based third
(EB-3) preference category visas were left unused - despite
significant demand - due to processing delays at the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"Relief is needed, and it's needed now," Shotwell concluded.
Compete America (www.competeamerica.org) is a coalition of
more than 200 corporations, universities, research institutions
and trade associations concerned about legal, employment-based
immigration and committed to ensuring that the United States
has the highly educated workforce necessary to ensure continued
innovation, job creation and leadership in a worldwide economy.
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