visa cap

ALSO NOTED: Google gets groovy; Get around the H-1B Visa cap;

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

> Google gets groovy. Article
> Get around the H-1B Visa cap. Article
> The CIO's smart resume. Article
> A tech crystal ball for '08. Article
> Feds ban brand names in contract bids. Article
> U.K.'s data troubles. Article
> PEW study: No worries about privacy...Huh? Article
> Recycle old tech. Article

And Finally... The golf channel goes techie. Article

H-IB Visa bill goes down the drain

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 20:01:39 -0400

The collapse of immigration reform in Washington DC is a setback for efforts to liberalize current H-1B visa policies, which would allow high-tech organizations to bring in talent from abroad to handle projects for which it is difficult to find staff. The H-1B cap for the federal government's next fiscal year was already met on the first day that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting visa applications in April. The USCIS received about 150,000 applications that day, and that strong demand for visas makes a compelling case for why an increase in the cap is urgently needed, according to Robert Hoffman, vice president of government and public affairs at Oracle. As a result, the high-tech sector is now looking at other options for pursuing an increase in the visa cap, according to various policy analysts within the IT industry. Option one for H-1B proponents, according to CIO Magazine, is a piece of stand-alone legislation called the Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership Act (or the Skill Bill)--which would raise the cap to 115,000 visas and would provide market-based mechanisms for further hikes. Option two: increasing the cap through an amendment to a spending bill. That approach has worked in the past.
Option three: adding an H-1B provision to one of a number of bills that Congress is already considering as part of the Democratic majority's Innovation Agenda.

For more on the current state of H-1B reform:
- read the detailed analysis in CIO Article

ALSO NOTED: Executives must have 'Chindia' strategy; Egypt is ready for outsourcing;

Wed, 23 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

> Google tests technology that inserts streaming ads into video clips. Article

> Gartner analysts say executives must have 'Chindia' strategy. Article

> Senate Bill's H-1B Legislation Would Hike Visa Cap But Change Green-Card Rules. Article

> Egypt is ready to become outsourcing "India of the Middle East, notes Yankee Group. Article

And Finally... A new Book, Seduced By Success, Explores Why CIOs Get Fired. Article

SPOTLIGHT: The expected rush for H-1B visas

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 19:01:34 -0500

Given the new political climate taking hold in Washington, employers are getting ready to file to grab H-1B visas as fast as possible. Last year, the visa cap was hit just two months into the year, and some pundits predict that a proposed increase in the visa cap won't be an easy sell given some newly-elected Democrat's opposition. Article

Big push for more H1-B visas

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:01:39 -0500

Advocates of increasing the controversial H1-B visa limit are hoping that Congress passes the Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership Act of 2006 (SKIL) before closing down for the year. The proposal would boost the current cap from 65,000 to 115,000 next year and is getting bipartisan support, likely due to heavy lobbying from tech vendors and industry organizations. Yet, a good portion of U.S. tech workers are against the proposal, claiming it is a way for companies to hire cheaper workers. Vendors and industry groups say the visa cap prevents knowledgeable foreign workers from coming into the states to work.

For more on the H1-B debate:
- read the news at InfoWorld

Related Article: How opinion has changed on the visa program. Article

H1-B visa issue still looms in Congress

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:01:35 -0400

In what has to be music to the ears of techies who believe that the H1-B immigration program threatens U.S. IT professionals, it's becoming increasingly unlikely that the visa cap will be increased this year, as there are too many bills ahead of it in Congress. Right now the cap is set at 65,000 and it's maxed out. Some big tech titans want to boost the number, saying that an increase is needed to get skilled talent on board. Some professional tech groups, such as the Programmers Guild, are still keeping a close eye on immigration bills pending before legislators, hoping that some amendment boosting the cap doesn't suddenly appear and get approved.

For more on the visa issue:
- read this article at InformationWeek

Why the H1-B visa is good for IT

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 20:01:35 -0400

The phrase 'H1-B visa' elicits lots of vocal opinions on whether the immigration program should be expanded or not and the impact that such visa programs are having on the IT industry. Most professionals within the tech community aren't thrilled about raising the visa cap, though big companies are pushing for it, saying it's needed to fill workforce requirements. As one pundit notes, the visa program is actually a good thing for both business and IT workers and that there aren't enough U.S.-based workers to fill the openings today.

For more on why the H1-B is needed:
- read this article at Optimize

New bill proposed on H1-B visa cap

Tue, 02 May 2006 20:01:39 -0400

The debate of the H1-B visa program promises to flare up again this week as a Senator is proposing a new bill that would raise the visa cap from 65,000 to 115,000. The new bill, being called "Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership" (aka, the Skil Bill), features many of the provisions proposed earlier and being debated in Congress. The big difference with the Skil Bill, introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), is that it targets issues related to raising the cap and streamlining visa processing.

For more on the new visa bill proposal:
- read this article at InformationWeek

Battle boils up over H1-B visa issue

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 19:01:38 -0500

The debate over how many H1-B visas the U.S. should allocate for the next year is gearing up as a hot battle in the halls of Congress. The House of Representatives clearly isn't aligned with President Bush and a U.S. Senate committee, both of which want the visa allotment to increase. In fact, the House doesn't even have a bill in the works to boost the visa cap from 65,000 to 115,000. But Silicon Valley and other advocates hope to change that scenario.

For more on the fight over the H1-B visa:
- read this article at The New York Times