How to Contact Congress to Express Your Outrage at the Inadequate H-1B Cap

Congress is not likely to consider legislation to scrap the H-1B cap (or at least raise it to a reasonable level) unless House and Senate members hear from employers and individuals who tell them just how bad this is for the US economy.  

The Am eric an Immigration Lawyers Association has posted the following model letter to send members of Congress. The letter is very helpful, though it is much, much better if you personalize it by providing actual examples of what the cap means to you and your company.  And if you can send an actual letter, that is always more meaningful than an email. Of course, the greatest impact you can make is to actually go to Washington and visit your Congressman or Senator or his or her staff. I’ve heard it said that one visit to DC is worth 1000 letters and I still believe this is true.  

AILA makes it very easy for members of the public to contact Congress. Just go to http://capwiz.com/aila2/home/ and you can find out who your Congressman or Senator is and how to reach them. AILA also provides helpful background information on a variety of immigration issues.  

AILA’s Model Letter:  

[I urge you to take immediate steps to address an Am eric an business crisis.  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received on April 2 - the first day H-1B applications could be filed for fiscal year 2008 - a volume of applications well in excess of the 65,000 annual limit.  This creates an unprecedented eighteen-month restriction on access to new H-1B visas for temporary professional employees.  This blackout on new H-1B visas, coupled with a continually growing employment-based (EB) green card backlog for permanent hires, puts Am eric an businesses at severe disadvantage in the global economy.  

The H-1B visa program is utilized by U.S. businesses and other organizations to augment the existing labor force with foreign workers in specialty occupations that require expertise in a specialized field. Typical H-1B occupations include scientists, architects, engineers, computer programmers, teachers, accountants, and doctors.  

This dire situation shows the inadequacy of the current quota for H-1B workers.  More egregious is the fact that this problem was completely foreseeable, yet Congress chose to do nothing about it last year.  In the fiscal year now in effect, the supply of such visas lasted less than eight weeks after the filing period opened. Not surprisingly, for the fiscal year that starts October 1, 2007, the supply did not last through even the first day.  

The H-1B and EB visa programs are vital tools necessary to keep the U.S. economy competitive in the world market and to keep jobs in Am eric a . Far from harming U.S. workers and the U.S. economy, highly educated foreign professionals benefit our country by allowing U.S. employers to develop new products, undertake groundbreaking research, implement new projects, expand operations, create additional new jobs, and compete in the global marketplace. As President Bush has remarked, if these professionals are not permitted to come to the U.S. to share their expertise, they will go to other countries and benefit companies abroad instead. The end result will be Am eric an jobs lost and Am eric an projects losing out to foreign competition, with devastating long-term consequences for the U.S. economy.  

Every day that passes without access to these high-skilled workers is a lost opportunity for growth, productivity, and innovation.  The best way to resolve this crisis is for Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform measure as soon as possible.  Any reform must include an increase in the H-1B quota.]