Bill could lead to stemming the flow of highly skilled worker from the US
December 2, 2011, Washington DC: The U.S. India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) commends the passage of the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act (H.R. 3012) in the House of Representatives. USINPAC urges the Senate to also ensure a swift passage of the bill on its floor. H.R. 3012 could potentially speed up the process of granting Green Cards to highly skilled immigrants, a large number of whom are of Indian origin
USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri praised the realistic approachof the bill and said, “We welcome this step by the U.S. Congress since it will provide a needed change in reducing wait times for green cards for highly skilled workers, some of whom have been waiting for their permanent residency for over 10 years. Given the global economy it makes no sense to see these knowledge workers leave the U.S. in frustration after they have learnt valuable skills and work for American competitors. Innovation drives the U.S. economy and in this tough economic climate we need to hold on the best and brightest.”
An important point to note is that the bill attempts to change the visa system without increasing actual numbers of visas granted. It does this by removing the allocation of country based Green Cards and moving it to a first-come-first-serve basis.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT 3) was introduced in the House in September 2011 and passed the floor with a 389-15 vote. Rep. Chaffetz in a statement, said,”Per country limits make no sense n the context of employment-based visas. Companies view all highly skilled immigrants as the same regardless of where they are from — be it India or Brazil.”
About USINPAC: The U.S India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) is a bi-partisan non-profit organization and the voice of2.7 million Indian-Americans. It works to impact policy on issues of concern to the Indian-American community in the US. We also provide bipartisan support to candidates for federal, state and local office who support the issues that are important to the Indian-American community. For more information visit us at http://www.usinpac.com
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