If Bush raises the H1B limit, he is done in November. Let's see if Rove is as dumb as I think he is.
they are trying to get clearances because they know its the only way to have any job security.
There are a million Americans that can do this work....
It seems pretty strange --- one minute they say they need countless people to move in who have no education at all --- to do those hard-work jobs that Americans won't do --- because Americans need high-skilled jobs. Now they need countless people to move in who have a lot of education --- because Americans are too stupid to do those jobs.
They fail to mention that one of the requirements for the H1 category is that they must be payed the prevailing wage and employment of a foreign worker does not harm conditions for US workers.
So......are any of you US workers being harmed ?
http://www.usavisanow.com/h1bnewsquota.html Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - USCIS Reaches H-1B Cap
Washington, D.C, February 17, 2004.-- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet this year's congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 new workers.
After today, USCIS will not accept any new H-1B petitions for first-time employment subject to the FY 2004 annual cap.
USCIS has implemented the following procedure for the remainder of FY 2004:
USCIS will process all petitions filed for first-time employment received by the end of business today.
Cap-subject H-1B petitions that are currently pending with the USCIS will continue to be processed.
USCIS will return all petitions for first-time employment subject to the annual cap received after the end of business today.
Returned petitions will be accompanied by the filing fee.
Petitioners may re-submit their petitions when H-1B visas become available for FY 2005.
The earliest date a petitioner may file a petition requesting FY 2005 H-1B employment with an employment start date of October 1, 2004, would be April 1, 2004.
Petitions for current H-1B workers do not count towards the congressionally mandated H-1B cap. Accordingly, USCIS will continue to process petitions filed to:
Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States.
Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers.
Allow current H-1B workers to change employers.
Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.
USCIS also notes that petitions for new H-1B employment are not subject to the annual cap if the alien will be employed at an institution of higher education or a related or affiliated nonprofit entity, or at a nonprofit research organization or a governmental research organization.
USCIS will continue to process H-1B petitions for workers from Singapore and Chile consistent with their free trade agreements which allot 1,400 H-1B visa numbers to Chile and 5,400 H-1B visa numbers to Singapore for FY 2004. This limit has not been reached.
If you (The Employer) can answer YES to any of the following 6 questions, then your petition IS NOT subject to the annual quota:
Are you an institution of higher education as defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965, section 101(a), 20 U.S.C. section 1001(a)?
Are you a nonprofit organization or entity related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education, as such institutions of higher education are defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965, section 101(a), 20 U.S.C. section 1001(a)?
A nonprofit research organization or a governmental research organization, as defined in 8 CFR 214.2(h)(19)(iii)(C)?
Is the beneficiary of this petition a J-1 nonimmigrant alien who received a waiver of the 2-year foreign residency requirement described in section 214(1)(1)(B) of the Act?
Has the beneficiary of this petition been previously granted status as an H-1B nonimmigrant in the past 6 years and not left the U.S. for more than a year after attaining such status?
If the petition is to request a change of employer, did the beneficiary previously work as an H-1B for an institution of higher education, an entity related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education, or a nonprofit research organization or governmental research institution defined in questions 1, 2 and 3?
Students in F-1 Status who missed the Quota:
In the past, the USCIS has allowed those in F-1 status who have a pending H-1B Petition but missed the quota to stay in the US in legal status (you may volunteer, but not receive a paycheck) until October 1st.
We will have to wait and see if the USCIS issues the same instructions. Please check back to this page for updates.
The American Business for Legal Immigration group on Wednesday suggested that foreign graduates from U.S. advanced degree programs in math, engineering and computer science should be allowed to remain in the country. "U.S. employers should have access to masters and Ph.D. holders whose education was paid, at least in part, through U.S. tax dollars," Boyd said. "It is counterproductive for the U.S. to train foreign scientists and engineers and then send them home to compete against American businesses hire Americans."
I don't understand why they're taking ANY H1-Bs, when so many qualified Amercians are out of work. But then, I guess that makes me one of Neal Boortz's "unpatriotic" Americans.