"High-Tech Workers Awaiting Green Cards Hire Lobbyists, Hit the Hill

Read the full story"

"Most See Visa Program as Severely Flawed

By S. Mitra Kalita
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 31, 2006; D01

Somewhere in the debate over immigration and the future of illegal workers, another, less-publicized fight is being waged over those who toil in air-conditioned offices, earn up to six-figure salaries and spend their days programming and punching code.
"

"(As I predicted, the fight is in the House of Representatives. Emails to Congress opposing the H-1b are absolutely critical now. Letters and phone calls are even better. With out them we will lose. However if you, and everyone you know, email Congress we have a chance if stop this. That includes your spouses, kids over the age of 18, coworkers, friends, and neighbors. Here is URL again for emails Congress. http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/H1B

I went ahead an emailed Congress not only for myself but also, after I asked them, some of my family members. Please consider doing the same thing especially if you have college aged children. They won't get jobs if this passes.

- jgm)

H-1B visas hit roadblock in Congress
By Anne Broache
"

"Congress urged to limit H-1B visa program
Two workers who testified say it hurts home-grown IT workers

News Story by Grant Gross

MARCH 30, 2006 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Two U.S. technology workers today urged Congress not to increase the cap on skilled foreign workers allowed to come into the country each year, saying that more immigrants would hurt home-grown IT experts.
"

"(Revealing article from an Indian newspaper on how Indians view the L1 visa. The last statement in the article is particularly illuminating. - jgm)

Worried about H-1B visa? Take the L1 route
SUDHIR SHAH
Indian Times

[ MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006 12:00:01 AM]
President Bush’s visit to India has come as a shot in the arm for Indians aspiring to work in America. There are hopes that the present annual cap of 65,000 for H-1B visas will now be increased. While President Bush was very positive on the need for US to continue attracting the best and the brightest from India, the decision on any change in H1B work permit numbers actually rests with Congress.
"

"WashTech News

Congress Considers Massive H-1b Visa Expansion, Gates Tells Congress It’s Microsoft’s Top Priority
By Marcus Courtney

Seattle-Congress is contemplating legislation that would allow up to 600,000 skilled professional guest workers to enter the U.S. in a single year. This would be the biggest one time expansion of the controversial H-1b visa program ito date.
"

"(Of those testifying John Miano is on our side. He is the one who did the wage and comparison study of H-1bs entitled "The Bottom of the pay scale". You can find it at http://www.cis.org/articles/2005/back1305.html, The study shows how badly H-1bs are underpaid and it also explains why you folks in IT have not be getting pay raises very often.

It's worth taking a look at. especially if you ever want to win a argument with some fool who thinks H-1bs are good. By the way if you haven't emailed Congress yet now would be a good time.After all, it's only your career that is on the line.
"

"Homeland Security probes L-1 visa abuses
Office of the Inspector General finds significant flaws in overseas hiring program


By Ephraim Schwartz

March 21, 2006
In the course of my research for a column on misuse of the L-1A and L-1B visa program for temporary workers in the United States, I was alerted to the Inspector General’s report published in January of this year by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), titled “Review of Vulnerabilities and Potential Abuses of the L-1 Visa Program."
"

"Software and mortgage companies violate immmigration laws

By TODD MCHALE
Burlington County Times

CINNAMINSON — A local software company and a northern New Jersey mortgage company have been found in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act and ordered to pay back wages to more than a dozen specialized foreign workers.
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"Abolish The H-1B; Green Cards For US Graduates Instead
by Roy Lawson

The H-1B visa is a 3-6 year temporary worker program originally designed to allow corporations to sponsor workers to fill an alleged worker shortage - this has since been disproved in the IT market which is the largest destination for IT workers on the H-1B visa. Until 2003 the H-1B cap was set to 195,000 and has since been lowered to 85,000 with the majority still flooding the IT job market.
"

"IEEE-USA questions expanding H-1B program

Spencer Chin
(03/20/2006 4:49 PM EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=183701165

WASHINGTON — Despite numerous government reports pointing out major flaws and weaknesses of the H-1B visa program, Congress is considering increasing the annual H-1B visa cap by at least 50,000 without strengthening safeguards to protect foreign and domestic technology workers.
"

"For Gates, A Visa Charge

By David S. Broder
Sunday, March 19, 2006; Page B07

When the Senate comes back to work next week, it is scheduled to take up the issue of immigration. And that is what brought Bill Gates to Washington for a rare visit last week.
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"Norm Matloff writes on 17 March:
There has been a ton of items in the press lately bemoaning the allegedly low math and science scores of U.S. kids in international tests. As I've explained before (and will elaborate on later in this posting), that actually is misleading, and the flurry of items in the press is due to very aggressive PR activities by various special interest groups with their own agendas.
"

"Norm Matloff writes in his 15 March newsletter:
I predicted that the guest worker bill program would really NOT be about illegal immigration, but instead would really be about importing cheap labor from around the world to fill all types of jobs, especially the white collar ones. Well, that is exactly what is in the Specter bill.""

" Immigration bill would add visas for tech workers
- Carolyn Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Friday, March 10, 2006

Buried in the Senate's giant immigration bill -- hardly noticed amid a fierce debate over a guest-worker program for unskilled laborers -- are provisions that would open the country's doors to highly skilled immigrants for science, math, technology and engineering jobs.
"

"America's Bleak Jobs Future
Nation Polarized Between Rich and Poor
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

On February 20 Forbes.com told its readers with a straight face that "the American job-generation machine rolls on. The economy will create 19 million new payroll jobs in the decade to 2014." Forbes took its information from the 10-year jobs projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, released last December.
"

"U.S. seeks ways to meet India worker demands at WTO
Fri Mar 3, 2006 3:19 AM IST11
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By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is working with members of Congress to find a way of meeting India's politically difficult demand in world trade talks that the United States open its market to more temporary workers, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman said on Thursday.
"

"Governors endorse guest worker plan
BUT WESTERNERS DON'T SAY WHICH VERSION IS BEST
By Erica Werner
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Western Governors Association called on Congress Tuesday to pass comprehensive immigration reform, including a temporary guest worker program.
"

Posted by Sean:

Hi, I appreciate your efforts in maintaining a site to fight the cause of IT professionals in america.

I noticed the following story in the media where Indian offshore company TCS is sued by one of its employees because he was forced to give the tax refunds to TCS.

Following are some links i found in Indian media. I have attached the Indian media links because they contain around 100 reader comments, most of which agree with the allegations in the law-suit.

"The Times of India Online
Printed from timesofindia.indiatimes.com > Infotech
Indian IT firms to lobby Bush to increase HI-B quota
[ Tuesday, February 21, 2006 08:14:53 pmPTI ]
Chartbuster DVD FREE for NRIs!
RSS Feeds| SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates


BANGALORE: India's IT industry will seek an increase in the number of H1-B (non-immigrant) visas and a mechanism to refund social security taxes paid by Indian professionals in the US, when President George W Bush visits India early next month.

Currently, US issues only 65,000 H1-B visas (work permits).
"

"(Well the battle is on. This bill would "virtually eliminate" caps on the H-1b visa. Domenic doesn't care that H-1b workers would replace American workers. You'd better be ready to fight against this or you may be the one replaced. I would urge any of you gentle readers to politely email your Congressional delegation and urge them to vote against this bill. - jgm)

http://www.sierratimes.com/06/02/21/amnesty.htm

Domenici Introduces Amnesty/Guest Worker Bill That Would Decimate American Workers
Sierra Times

In preparation for a debate in the Senate next month on immigration policy, Senator Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) has introduced legislation that would grant amnesty to an estimated 12 million people now living illegally in the U.S. and admit an additional 500,000 new guest workers plus dependant family members every year. Under the Domenici legislation, known as the Welcoming Immigrants to a Secure Homeland (WISH) of 2006 bill, all of the "guest workers" would eventually be allowed to become permanent residents.
"

"(Now the battle is on. As I predicted last year, after we stopped the H-1b increase, the H-1b issue would be back. Of course you will notice that no one mentions that there were 140,000 high tech layoffs last year (up 118,000 from the year before). No also mentions the fraud and abuse that is rampant in both the H-1b and L-1 visa progarm. Also what ever happened to the concept of training a worker?

The only way this will be stopped is that if individuals and their friends and family pressure Congress with e-mails and letters opposing an H-1b increase. It will be a difficult fight be we did win last year. When specific bills come up I will post them here so you can email your Congressional representatives asking them to oppose them. Our best chance to stop this is in the House not the Senate. If you do email Congress please be polite. Being rude will only get your email deleated. Also if any of you go to a townhall type meeting bring the issue up. You can find plenty of arguments and facts here to argue against an H-1b position. - jgm)
"

"(The following quote floors me; "The inspector general concluded that although the claims about displacing U.S. workers "may have merit," it is not a significant national trend."

An IEEE-USA analysis of BLS data showed that "from 2001 to 2004, while federal immigration officials processed 856,000 H-1B visa applications, national unemployment among high tech managers and professionals increased from 725,000 in 2001 to 1.3 million in 2004. During this same time another IEEE-USA analysis showed a 24% decline in the number of employed computer programmers, 23% decline in the number of employed electrical engineers, and 18% decline in the number of employed computer scientists. "

"Bush Calls for Lifting Cap on Special H-1B Visas

Reuters
Thursday, February 2, 2006; 2:27 PM

MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (Reuters) - President George W. Bush Thursday called on Congress to raise the cap on the so-called H-1B visas that allow companies to fill high tech jobs with foreign workers.

"The problem is, is that Congress has limited the number of H-1B visas," Bush said in a speech.

"I think it's a mistake not to encourage more really bright folks who can fill the jobs that are having trouble being filled in America, to limit their number. So I call upon Congress to be realistic and reasonable to raise that cap," he said.

High-tech businesses have pushed Congress to increase the number of such visas, currently capped at 65,000 per year.

Workers are allowed to stay in the United States for six years.

Some labor groups have opposed an expansion of the program, saying it takes away jobs from Americans.

(Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan)"

"(Here is a Republican who is a traitor to the American middle class worker. The quote from the article is " Asking the federal government for more H-1B visas and green cards for immigrant college students who plan to work in areas such as biomedical engineering, medical research and software development.".

What about American workers who have lost their jobs to offshoring and H-1bs? I guess this SOB governor doesn't give a damn about us. IT workers who lose their jobs get no aid at all from the government. All we get to do is go apply for some no benefit, minimum wage service job and work until we die.

Bringing in H-1bs to work in biotech will just smash the wage scales in that industry just as H-1b's destroyed the IT industry. All it would do is ruin another American industry. - jgm)


After targeting illegal immigrants, Pawlenty to help legal ones

Governor Tim Pawlenty showed a softer side to immigrants Thursday, extending offers of help to legal immigrants after weeks of talking up a crackdown on those who enter the country illegally.
"

"High-tech workers feel betrayed by visa hires

New bills side with group that says programs give foreigners unfair edge

BY MICHAEL DAIGLE
DAILY RECORD

An organized group of engineers and computer programmers is backing federal legislation to cap the number of skilled foreign workers who are allowed to enter the United States.
"

"(As you can see from the following article we must be prepared to fight againist an H-1b increse next year. - jgm)

Plan to add high-tech visas dies in Congress
By Jim Puzzanghera
Mercury News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - A plan pushed by Silicon Valley high-tech companies to increase the number of special visas for highly skilled foreign workers has been dropped from a federal budget bill, ending attempts to expand the program this year.
"

"(VICTORY!!!! This is a wonderful victory for American workers. Thanks to all of you who emailed Congress. For those of you who didn't this is proof that the US public does have influence. Be warned however that is but one battle in an on going war. I'm sure we will have to fight again next year to prevent more H-1bs from coming into the country. So the next time we ask you to email Congress please do so. - jgm)

Plan to add visas for high-tech workers dropped
By Erica Werner, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A Senate-passed measure to add more visas for foreign workers in high-tech and specialty fields was dropped from a budget bill that passed the House early Monday, disappointing high-tech and manufacturing firms in search of skilled workers.

The Senate plan would have allowed 30,000 more of the popular H1-B visas each year, and increased fees for those visas to help trim the budget deficit. Congress capped the six-year H-1B visas at 65,000 per year in 2004, and that cap has already been reached for the 2006 fiscal year that began Oct. 1.
"

"More H-1B visas could be OK'd

Proposal to raise the cap on guest workers draws arguments from all sides

12:00 AM CST on Sunday, December 18, 2005

By MARY JACOBS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Congress may give technology employers a gift this Christmas: an additional 30,000 H-1B visas, which allow U.S. companies to hire skilled foreign nationals as guest workers.

IRWIN THOMPSON/DMN
Diane Collier says the IT job market is tough already: 'It's hard for me to imagine that we can't find people here.'
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"The non-immigrant community, with coaching by immgiration lawyers as well as Compete America, is lobbying our Congressional Leaders to "support of the Senate modifications incorporated in Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2006 (S. 1932) passed by the Senate""