From my archive of press clippings:
Petoskey News-Review
Lack of work visas poses challenges for area businesses
By Ryan Bentley News-Review Staff Writer
Thursday, January 29, 2009 9:32 AM EST
With this year’s allotment of a common type of work visa already spoken for, some Northern Michigan resort operators are taking different approaches to fill summer jobs that typically have been handled by workers from abroad.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Earlier this month, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it had received enough petitions for H-2B work visas to reach the cap of 33,000 workers for the April-September 2009 period."
"Visas are issued on a yearly cycle corresponding with the federal government’s fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. Because summer occurs relatively late in this cycle, employers needing seasonal workers at that time often have faced challenges getting paperwork in place before the cap is reached.
A couple of years ago, the law was updated, with half of the yearly visa allotment designated to be used in the second half of the fiscal year."
&
"According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the H-2B work visa allows U.S. employers in industries with peak load, seasonal or intermittent needs to supplement their existing labor force with temporary workers.
The H-2B visa category also allows U.S. employers to augment their existing labor force when needed because of a one-time occurrence requiring a temporary increase in workers.
Typically, H-2B workers fill labor needs in occupational areas such as construction, health care, landscaping, lumber, manufacturing, food service/processing and resort/hospitality services."
_______
Ryan Bentley
439-9342 - rbentley@petoskeynews.com
Showing posts with label temporary work permits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label temporary work permits. Show all posts
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
BG - Faster citizenship in uniform
From my archive of press clippings:
Boston Globe
Faster citizenship in uniform
February 19, 2009
THE MILITARY has long had a policy of offering accelerated citizenship to legal immigrants with green cards who volunteer for service. Now it is going to offer the same inducement to immigrants who are refugees or on temporary work or student visas. While thorough background checks will be needed to make sure the recruits aren't sleeper agents for enemy states or terrorist organizations, the program should help the Pentagon cope with two wars and the need to be prepared for other conflicts.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The Army, which is taking the lead on the new policy, hopes to use it to draw immigrants who have medical training or linguistic skills and familiarity with foreign cultures. The service is quick to point out that the new program is not a means of meeting overall recruitment goals."
&
"(T)he two wars of this decade have taught the military how critical it is to have troops with the ability to speak languages used in the world's hot spots, from the Pushtu of Pakistan and Afghanistan to the Somali and Swahili of East Africa. The new program also recognizes the large number of immigrant doctors and nurses working in this country, whose skills are also needed in the military. To qualify for enlistment, the immigrants will need to have been in the United States at least two years. Once sworn in, they can immediately apply for citizenship and can get it in as little as six months.
To protect against sleeper agents, all the recruits will be subject to screening by the Department of Homeland Security, in addition to the initial DHS screen done before they received their visas."
Boston Globe
Faster citizenship in uniform
February 19, 2009
THE MILITARY has long had a policy of offering accelerated citizenship to legal immigrants with green cards who volunteer for service. Now it is going to offer the same inducement to immigrants who are refugees or on temporary work or student visas. While thorough background checks will be needed to make sure the recruits aren't sleeper agents for enemy states or terrorist organizations, the program should help the Pentagon cope with two wars and the need to be prepared for other conflicts.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The Army, which is taking the lead on the new policy, hopes to use it to draw immigrants who have medical training or linguistic skills and familiarity with foreign cultures. The service is quick to point out that the new program is not a means of meeting overall recruitment goals."
&
"(T)he two wars of this decade have taught the military how critical it is to have troops with the ability to speak languages used in the world's hot spots, from the Pushtu of Pakistan and Afghanistan to the Somali and Swahili of East Africa. The new program also recognizes the large number of immigrant doctors and nurses working in this country, whose skills are also needed in the military. To qualify for enlistment, the immigrants will need to have been in the United States at least two years. Once sworn in, they can immediately apply for citizenship and can get it in as little as six months.
To protect against sleeper agents, all the recruits will be subject to screening by the Department of Homeland Security, in addition to the initial DHS screen done before they received their visas."
Friday, February 6, 2009
FSM - Exclusive: H1B Visa Holder Attempted Fannie Mae Sabotage - Where's the Outrage?
Family Security Matters
Exclusive: H1B Visa Holder Attempted Fannie Mae Sabotage - Where's the Outrage?
February 3, 2009
Michael Cutler
A citizen of India, Rajendrasinh B. Makwana attempted to sabotage the computer database at Fannie Mae. He was, according to news reports, employed as a so-called temporary foreign worker who had been authorized to work in the United States temporarily under the provisions of the H1B visa that had been issued to him.
Read the whole article here.
Exclusive: H1B Visa Holder Attempted Fannie Mae Sabotage - Where's the Outrage?
February 3, 2009
Michael Cutler
A citizen of India, Rajendrasinh B. Makwana attempted to sabotage the computer database at Fannie Mae. He was, according to news reports, employed as a so-called temporary foreign worker who had been authorized to work in the United States temporarily under the provisions of the H1B visa that had been issued to him.
Read the whole article here.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
DMG - DELAWARE: Businesses feel effects of work visa cap
From my archive of press clippings:
Delmarva Media Group
DELAWARE: Businesses feel effects of work visa cap
By Summer HArlow • The News Journal • May 20, 2008
Al Parker misses his Mexican workers. All honest, hardworking and quick learners, they did the paving and excavating work in half the time it takes most U.S. workers to do the same job, said Parker, who owns A. Parker Paving Inc., in Sussex County.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Parker is among thousands of construction, landscaping and hospitality business owners across the country who, now at the height of their busy seasons, say they are unable to find American workers to do the jobs they have come to rely on legal, temporary immigrant labor to fulfill.
By law, these immigrants must be paid prevailing wages, they pay taxes and then at the end of the season they return home, expecting to be back the following year.
But after playing by the rules and resisting the lure of cheap unauthorized workers, business owners like Parker say the government is punishing them.
Congress has refused to allow more than 66,000 seasonal work visas, known as H-2B visas, to be issued this year.
Doled out twice a year, every one was snatched up the first day they became available this spring, leaving thousands of workers -- and employers -- out of luck.
In previous years, the visa cap was extended by not counting the number of returning workers against the limit. In 2006, 122,541 workers came into the country on H-2B visas."
&
"Although they're denied workers, employers aren't refunded the thousands of dollars they spent to apply for the visas."
Delmarva Media Group
DELAWARE: Businesses feel effects of work visa cap
By Summer HArlow • The News Journal • May 20, 2008
Al Parker misses his Mexican workers. All honest, hardworking and quick learners, they did the paving and excavating work in half the time it takes most U.S. workers to do the same job, said Parker, who owns A. Parker Paving Inc., in Sussex County.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Parker is among thousands of construction, landscaping and hospitality business owners across the country who, now at the height of their busy seasons, say they are unable to find American workers to do the jobs they have come to rely on legal, temporary immigrant labor to fulfill.
By law, these immigrants must be paid prevailing wages, they pay taxes and then at the end of the season they return home, expecting to be back the following year.
But after playing by the rules and resisting the lure of cheap unauthorized workers, business owners like Parker say the government is punishing them.
Congress has refused to allow more than 66,000 seasonal work visas, known as H-2B visas, to be issued this year.
Doled out twice a year, every one was snatched up the first day they became available this spring, leaving thousands of workers -- and employers -- out of luck.
In previous years, the visa cap was extended by not counting the number of returning workers against the limit. In 2006, 122,541 workers came into the country on H-2B visas."
&
"Although they're denied workers, employers aren't refunded the thousands of dollars they spent to apply for the visas."
Monday, January 5, 2009
News.Com - Dim outlook for H-1B changes in this Congress?
From my archive of press clippings:
News.Com
Dim outlook for H-1B changes in this Congress?
May 12, 2008 12:12 PM PDT
Posted by Anne Broache 29 comments
Updated at 12:57 p.m. PDT to add the Democratic leadership's comments.
WASHINGTON--The U.S. Congress won't be beefing up the number of H-1B visas anytime soon, the chief legal adviser to an influential Republican predicted Monday.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"H-1Bs are temporary work permits that allow foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree in their area of specialty to work in the United States for up to six years. Currently, the annual cap stands at 65,000, with an additional 20,000 for foreigners with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. This year, U.S. immigration officials reported receiving more than 163,000 petitions for next year's slots within the first five days and are no longer accepting new applications."
""The H-1B program can and usually does operate to the benefit of both American high-tech companies and American workers. It is the job of Congress to ensure that it always does." --George Fishman, chief counsel to House Judiciary immigration subcommittee."
&
"On the one hand, high-tech companies like Microsoft and Google prize H-1B visas because they say those work permits allow them to fill gaps in their operations for which there is a shortage of qualified Americans. On the other hand, some American programmers say abuse of the system has displaced American workers and depressed their wages."
News.Com
Dim outlook for H-1B changes in this Congress?
May 12, 2008 12:12 PM PDT
Posted by Anne Broache 29 comments
Updated at 12:57 p.m. PDT to add the Democratic leadership's comments.
WASHINGTON--The U.S. Congress won't be beefing up the number of H-1B visas anytime soon, the chief legal adviser to an influential Republican predicted Monday.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"H-1Bs are temporary work permits that allow foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree in their area of specialty to work in the United States for up to six years. Currently, the annual cap stands at 65,000, with an additional 20,000 for foreigners with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. This year, U.S. immigration officials reported receiving more than 163,000 petitions for next year's slots within the first five days and are no longer accepting new applications."
""The H-1B program can and usually does operate to the benefit of both American high-tech companies and American workers. It is the job of Congress to ensure that it always does." --George Fishman, chief counsel to House Judiciary immigration subcommittee."
&
"On the one hand, high-tech companies like Microsoft and Google prize H-1B visas because they say those work permits allow them to fill gaps in their operations for which there is a shortage of qualified Americans. On the other hand, some American programmers say abuse of the system has displaced American workers and depressed their wages."
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