REACTION TO NEW H-1B BILL VARIES FROM POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE

As expected, groups across the country are weighing in on the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act, the formal name of the recently proposed Hatch H-1B bill.  As with any politically charged issue, reaction has been swift, and while there is some negative response, most groups that have weighed in favor the proposal.

The US Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than three million businesses in the US says the bill is necessary.  The Chamber recognizes the need to find long-term solutions to the lack of skilled technical workers domestically, but also believes that “without immediate action to fill the technology worker gap, the shortage will continue to grow, threatening American prosperity and preeminence in the global economy.”

The American Immigration Lawyers Association has also issued a statement in support of the bill.  According to AILA, “the legislation provides a short-term solution to the nation’s shortage of skilled professional workers.”  AILA has often referred to the H-1B cap as a cap on the US economy.  AILA also commends the bill for exempting those who will work at educational, non-profit and governmental institutions from the cap.

The Information Technology Association of America, the leading IT trade association in the US, has also praised the bill.  According to Harris N. Miller, the President of the organization, “increasing the availability of highly skilled workers to American technology firms is one of the most positive steps Congress can take this year toward continuing the robust growth of the New Economy.”  The ITAA also supported the bill for continuing the efforts of the 1998 H-1B bill to improve training and education of US workers. 

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., an organization dedicated to promoting public knowledge about engineering, is opposed to any increase in the annual H-1B cap.  The IEEE believes that the high-tech worker shortage is being overstated and would prefer Congress wait to raise the cap until the effect of the 1998 H-1B cap increase can be determined.  The group does, however, favor full use of available employment-based immigrant visas. 

The Center for Immigration Studies, a nonpartisan think tank that generally advocates restricted immigration, is also against the Hatch bill.  This group believes that the proposal would add 1 million new H-1B visa holders over the next three years, while not providing them the chance for permanent immigration.  There are only 140,000 visas available annually for permanent immigration.  As the Center sees the bill, it would create such backlogs in employment based immigration applications that it would take more than 10 years to be reduced. 

The AFL-CIO, despite its reversal on the issue of undocumented workers, remains opposed to temporary workers, and thus to the proposed H-1B cap increase.