From my archive of press clippings:
Business Week
Still Wanted: Foreign Talent-and Visas
December 10, 2009, 5:00PM EST
By Moira Herbst
Even as job losses in the U.S. mount, employers have stepped up the hiring of skilled workers from abroad, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The acceleration in recent weeks has put companies close to exhausting the 65,000 visas allotted each year for foreign hires under what's known as the H-1B program. Some 61,500 visas had been used as of Dec. 8, and the last visas are likely to be claimed within weeks. Once that happens, companies won't be able to use the program to bring in additional workers until October, the start of the government's fiscal year.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The H-1B program allows employers to sponsor skilled workers from overseas for up to three years, with the possibility of extending for additional years."
&
"Of the top 200 recipients in 2009, American businesses accounted for 49% of the visas, up from 43% in 2008. Microsoft (MSFT) was No. 2 on the list with 1,318 approvals, while Intel (INTC) ranked No. 3 with 723. The chip giant says it's using the visas to recruit for high-skill posts in software and component design."
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Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek.
Showing posts with label Moira Herbst. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moira Herbst. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
BW - H1B Visa Law: Trying Again
From my archive of press clippings:
Business Week
H1B Visa Law: Trying Again
April 24, 2009, 12:01AM EST
Senators Dick Durbin and Charles Grassley plan to reintroduce legislation aimed at curbing abuses of the H-1B visa program
By Moira Herbst
Two U.S. senators are reintroducing legislation aimed at revamping the H-1B visa program for guest workers in the U.S., at a time of rising unemployment and growing evidence that the program has been marred by fraud. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) hope that the bill, "The H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud & Prevention Act of 2009," has a better chance of passing now than when they originally introduced it in 2007.
"The new bill calls for the Labor Dept. to conduct random audits of at least 1% of companies using the H-1B program, and would require the agency to conduct annual audits of companies with more than 100 employees that have 15% or more of those workers on H-1B visas. The bill also authorizes 200 additional Labor Dept. employees to administer, oversee, investigate, and enforce guest worker programs such as H-1B. The bill would also require that employers advertise a job opening for 30 days on a Labor Dept. Web site before seeking a visa for such a position. It would also forbid employers from advertising a job as available only for H-1B visa holders."
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"The bill also includes a number of changes to the L-1 visa program, which is used for intracompany transfers of employees for up to seven years. It would establish for the first time a process for Labor Dept. officials to investigate, audit, and penalize L-1 visa abuses."
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Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.
Business Week
H1B Visa Law: Trying Again
April 24, 2009, 12:01AM EST
Senators Dick Durbin and Charles Grassley plan to reintroduce legislation aimed at curbing abuses of the H-1B visa program
By Moira Herbst
Two U.S. senators are reintroducing legislation aimed at revamping the H-1B visa program for guest workers in the U.S., at a time of rising unemployment and growing evidence that the program has been marred by fraud. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) hope that the bill, "The H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud & Prevention Act of 2009," has a better chance of passing now than when they originally introduced it in 2007.
Snippet(s):
"The bill would not reduce the number of H-1B visas—now 85,000 per year—but contains provisions to increase oversight and enforcement and discourage outsourcing of H-1B visa holders. It also requires all employers seeking to hire an H-1B visa holder to pledge that they have made a "good faith" effort to hire American workers first, and that the H-1B visa holder will not displace an American worker. Under current law, only heavy users of the program must make such a pledge."
"Microsoft came under fire in January when it announced it would lay off 5,000 workers while continuing to seek H-1B visas. On the company's first-quarter earnings call on Apr. 23, Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said the company wants to add 2,000 to 3,000 new jobs in "higher growth" areas over the next 18 months. He said Microsoft's overall applications for H-1B visas are down about 20% and new-hire visas down 40% from last year."
"The introduction of the bill comes as concern has spread about the H-1B program's susceptibility to fraud. In October, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services released a report stating that 13% of H-1B visa applications are fraudulent and another 7% contain some form of technical violations."
(page 2 of 2)"The new bill calls for the Labor Dept. to conduct random audits of at least 1% of companies using the H-1B program, and would require the agency to conduct annual audits of companies with more than 100 employees that have 15% or more of those workers on H-1B visas. The bill also authorizes 200 additional Labor Dept. employees to administer, oversee, investigate, and enforce guest worker programs such as H-1B. The bill would also require that employers advertise a job opening for 30 days on a Labor Dept. Web site before seeking a visa for such a position. It would also forbid employers from advertising a job as available only for H-1B visa holders."
&
"The bill also includes a number of changes to the L-1 visa program, which is used for intracompany transfers of employees for up to seven years. It would establish for the first time a process for Labor Dept. officials to investigate, audit, and penalize L-1 visa abuses."
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Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
BW - H-1B Visa Law: Trying Again. Senators Dick Durbin and Charles Grassley plan to reintroduce legislation aimed at curbing abuses of the H-1B visa.
From my archive of press clippings:
Business Week
H-1B Visa Law: Trying Again
Senators Dick Durbin and Charles Grassley plan to reintroduce legislation aimed at curbing abuses of the H-1B visa program
By Moira Herbst
April 24, 2009, 12:01AM EST
Two U.S. senators are reintroducing legislation aimed at revamping the H-1B visa program for guest workers in the U.S., at a time of rising unemployment and growing evidence that the program has been marred by fraud. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) hope that the bill, "The H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud & Prevention Act of 2009," has a better chance of passing now than when they originally introduced it in 2007.
Read the whole article here.
_____
Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.
Business Week
H-1B Visa Law: Trying Again
Senators Dick Durbin and Charles Grassley plan to reintroduce legislation aimed at curbing abuses of the H-1B visa program
By Moira Herbst
April 24, 2009, 12:01AM EST
Two U.S. senators are reintroducing legislation aimed at revamping the H-1B visa program for guest workers in the U.S., at a time of rising unemployment and growing evidence that the program has been marred by fraud. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) hope that the bill, "The H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud & Prevention Act of 2009," has a better chance of passing now than when they originally introduced it in 2007.
Read the whole article here.
_____
Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
BW - H-1B Visa Season Is Here
Business World
H-1B Visa Season Is Here
The U.S. government begins accepting applications on Apr. 1, and all 85,000 H-1B visas available are expected to be used
March 31, 2009, 12:01AM EST
By Moira Herbst
On Apr. 1, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) will begin accepting applications for H-1B visas for skilled workers. The number of applications will reveal U.S. employers' current appetite for overseas workers.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"(C)ritics of the H-1B visa program, who point to its potential for abuse and fraud, say that with U.S. unemployment rising, it's not clear there is a shortage of skilled workers in the U.S."
"Under the current system, the number of high-skilled workers allowed in each year on temporary work visas is capped at 65,000, with a further 20,000 for those with advanced degrees. Compete America, which also represents Intel (INTC), Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), and others, has advocated for the cap to be increased to at least 115,000.
Microsoft has been among the most vocal champions of increasing skilled immigration into the U.S., with Bill Gates testifying before Congress several times. The company's stance has attracted heat from critics of the H-1B program, especially as Microsoft announced it would lay off some U.S. workers."
continued
"(U)nder current law, employers seeking H-1B visas do not need to prove that they have first tried to hire an American worker for the job. On Mar. 31, Bright Future Jobs, a U.S. tech worker lobbying group, posted on its Web site 13 advertisements for jobs in which the employer designated a preference for H-1B visa workers or targeted them specifically for the positions, according to the Web site."
"In the final version of the economic stimulus bill in February, Senate and House negotiators agreed to stricter limits on banks and other firms receiving taxpayer bailouts that use the H-1B visa program. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) are expected to introduce legislation that would require all companies to observe such stricter limits before looking at H-1B visa workers."
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Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.
H-1B Visa Season Is Here
The U.S. government begins accepting applications on Apr. 1, and all 85,000 H-1B visas available are expected to be used
March 31, 2009, 12:01AM EST
By Moira Herbst
On Apr. 1, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) will begin accepting applications for H-1B visas for skilled workers. The number of applications will reveal U.S. employers' current appetite for overseas workers.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"(C)ritics of the H-1B visa program, who point to its potential for abuse and fraud, say that with U.S. unemployment rising, it's not clear there is a shortage of skilled workers in the U.S."
"Under the current system, the number of high-skilled workers allowed in each year on temporary work visas is capped at 65,000, with a further 20,000 for those with advanced degrees. Compete America, which also represents Intel (INTC), Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), and others, has advocated for the cap to be increased to at least 115,000.
Microsoft has been among the most vocal champions of increasing skilled immigration into the U.S., with Bill Gates testifying before Congress several times. The company's stance has attracted heat from critics of the H-1B program, especially as Microsoft announced it would lay off some U.S. workers."
continued
"(U)nder current law, employers seeking H-1B visas do not need to prove that they have first tried to hire an American worker for the job. On Mar. 31, Bright Future Jobs, a U.S. tech worker lobbying group, posted on its Web site 13 advertisements for jobs in which the employer designated a preference for H-1B visa workers or targeted them specifically for the positions, according to the Web site."
"In the final version of the economic stimulus bill in February, Senate and House negotiators agreed to stricter limits on banks and other firms receiving taxpayer bailouts that use the H-1B visa program. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) are expected to introduce legislation that would require all companies to observe such stricter limits before looking at H-1B visa workers."
_____
Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
BW - Visa Fraud Sparks Arrests Nationwide.
Business Week
Visa Fraud Sparks Arrests Nationwide.
An ongoing federal probe into H-1B visa fraud leads to 11 arrests and the indictment of IT services firm Vision Systems Group.
February 13, 2009, 12:01AM EST
By Moira Herbst
The controversy over the H-1B visa program for highly skilled workers is heating up once again. Federal agents detained 11 people in six states as part of a wide investigation into suspected visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney's office in Iowa announced on Feb. 12, a day after the arrests. Those arrested are accused of fraudulently representing themselves or other workers in immigration documents.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The coordinated, nationwide enforcement effort began 18 months ago and continues, officials said. It is the first to specifically address fraud in the H-1B visa system, which critics say brings lower-cost tech workers into the U.S., displacing American workers.
As unemployment rises in the U.S., the H-1B program is drawing scrutiny for its potential effects on U.S. jobs."
_____
Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.
Visa Fraud Sparks Arrests Nationwide.
An ongoing federal probe into H-1B visa fraud leads to 11 arrests and the indictment of IT services firm Vision Systems Group.
February 13, 2009, 12:01AM EST
By Moira Herbst
The controversy over the H-1B visa program for highly skilled workers is heating up once again. Federal agents detained 11 people in six states as part of a wide investigation into suspected visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney's office in Iowa announced on Feb. 12, a day after the arrests. Those arrested are accused of fraudulently representing themselves or other workers in immigration documents.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"The coordinated, nationwide enforcement effort began 18 months ago and continues, officials said. It is the first to specifically address fraud in the H-1B visa system, which critics say brings lower-cost tech workers into the U.S., displacing American workers.
As unemployment rises in the U.S., the H-1B program is drawing scrutiny for its potential effects on U.S. jobs."
_____
Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.
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