The federal government announced Friday that it had received so many petitions from employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers next fiscal year that it had reached its limit and would not accept any more.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — which started accepting petitions through the H-1B visa program Monday – predicted it would hit its annual cap this week after the paperwork started pouring in.
The federal agency declined to say precisely how many petitions it had received as of Friday. USCIS added that it would use a lottery system to select petitions.
H-1B visas are reserved for foreigners who can work temporarily in specialty fields that require some level of theoretical or technical expertise. Many of these jobs, for example, require a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in experience or more.
By law, the government may not issue more than 65,000 of these H-1B visas across the nation per year, with some exceptions. Additionally, 20,000 more visas are available for those who have received graduate degrees from U.S. schools.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this week that Atlanta’s demand for these skilled foreign workers is among the highest in the nation and that many of them are working for some of the region’s most well-known companies – including Coca-Cola and UPS — and for all levels of government here.
Congress is now debating whether more H-1B visas should be made available as part of a major overhaul of the nation’s immigration system.
Supporters of expanding the program say employers can’t always find U.S. citizens with the right skills, specifically in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They contend these foreign workers are among the best and the brightest to help boost Georgia’s economy.
“Reaching the cap so quickly shows that this limit set on recruiting foreign talent just isn’t based on actual labor force demand and the human resource needs of U.S. companies,” Laura Lichter, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said in a prepared statement Friday. “This is yet another sign that our immigration system is broken and that fixing it will benefit our economy.”
Critics argue the program depresses U.S. wages and argue these jobs should go to U.S. citizens, particularly amid high unemployment. They also contend the program is vulnerable to fraud and abuse.
“Americans should be opposed to hiking the H-1B visa cap at this time,” said Phil Kent, the national spokesman for Americans for Immigration Control. “More of these foreign workers will drive down wages. All too many Americans can fill these job slots if only various congressional and other recommendations are followed to drastically curb the notorious fraud and abuse in the program.”
About the Author
