WashingtonWatch.com - H.R. 5921, The High Skilled Per Country Level Elimination Act

Comment by Charlie (November 19, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

As far as I am concerned there should be a total halt to all employment based immigration. As long as one American citizen is unemployed there should not be one individual granted entry to take a job....

Comment by Miranti Lao (October 18, 2008, 01:00:00)

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

I come from Burma. I settle as refugee in America because I am Buddhist. Everybody is very nice to me like american, chinese, indians. We can be nice to everybody who comes because we live in small world. I believe in peace and good for all as country gets help from people who come from outside....

Comment by Vinh Le (September 18, 2008, 01:00:00)

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Why not have a per country limit based on a countries percentage of the world population? For example Indians are 15% of the world's population, set the limit on Indian immigrants at 15%. But the biggest problem with this bill is it will further increase the waiting time for family immigrants, some of who now wait 22 years. This is because the bill will increase the demand for but decrease the supply of family immigrant visas....

Comment by besmart (September 17, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

WOW...all that talk about diversity. I am gonna break it down piece by piece: 1. How wud this affect diversity. Its not like the green card are taken away from rest of the world quota. Does anybody know meaning of "UNUSED"? 2. H1B and all the other work visas are available for everyone and every country. If folks from countries other then india and china don't apply for H1B or green card they not gonna get it. 3. Do I want one indian/chinese for every 5 americans?? I got news for you Enrique. You already have 5 indian/Chinese for every american. Indian and chinese make up 2/5 of the humanity. So get used to the idea of seeing us often or shall I say very often. 4. This bill is not gonna give high tech immigrants any thing new. They will get their green cards no matter what. This bill merely takes care of the long delays in that process....

Comment by physician (August 5, 2008, 01:00:00)

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

I am a physician. At my workplace, physicians from other countries have come and gone after getting green cards, while the ones from India have been stuck with the current employer and experiencing hardships such as inability to get further subspecialty training or move to a better working environment. I personally am living separetly from my spouse as we could not get jobs in the same city. Can somebody justify country quotas in my situation? Moreover, there is no visible end to this wait. It is almost humiliating to face discrimination like this....

Comment by Jeff (August 4, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Well, it would be OK to eliminate the per country limits, if the total limits were lowered to reasonable levels, and the remaining visas auctioned off to the highest bidding applicant/sponsor teams, so as to help improve the odds that they're going to better applicants. And, of course, every visa applicant should undergo, pay for, and pass a proper background investigation and medical examination. And returning US citizens should also have to pass a medical exam....

Revision by webmaster (July 17, 2008, 01:00:00)

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

H.R. 5921 would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the per country level for employment-based immigrants and to end the spill-over of unused immigrant visa numbers between employment-based and family-sponsored categories.

Detailed Summary

High Skilled Per Country Level Elimination Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) eliminate the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants; (2) increase the per-country numerical limitation for family-sponsored immigrants; (3) establish the fiscal year worldwide level of employment-based immigrants at 140,000 plus the previous year's unused visas; and (4) establish the fiscal year worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants at 480,000 minus the number of certain aliens not subject to direct numerical limitations plus the previous year's unused visas. (States that such annual level shall not be less than 226,000.)

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2008: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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Comment by Wating4EightYrs (July 15, 2008, 01:00:00)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Its funny how for a country who's foundation lays on "No caste, creed race or sex but the best" has a criteria for entering and getting into naturalization as "Are your from India/China/UK/France/Afgan..etc. and have quota system". Lets face it if you are good you make it and let the country prosper on a free economy and culture. This bill will rectify some of the current economic and immigrant issues rather than creating more. Just imagine so many people waiting for Green card and not spending much and saving money for the rainy day, gets their GC. Everyone eventually will put the money back into the system esp buying a house for instance. Its shear common-sense to support this bill and shear prejudice against certain race not to support it....

Comment by preparationH (July 13, 2008, 01:00:00)

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

This bill clearly provides justice to thousands of Indian and Chinese waiting in line to get their GC. I am from India and waited here since 2002 and still have long ways to go. It saddened me to so see my colleague from Australia with PD in 2005 get his GC in EB3 category doing similar job in my company while I am still waiting from 2002. I went to university here in US and he did not. This percontry quota is not rational in Employment based GC....

Comment by hhhhh. (June 30, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

This is an extremely bad bill.With India dominating not only the H1 visa quota and EB green cards applications but also body shops and “consulting” companies; eliminating the per country quota would massively and unfairly flood America with workers from India Many defenders of the bill used flawed socio-economic reasons to justify their *shameful and selfish agenda. Unused visa for ROW (Other countries) is NOT because there are not enough skilled workers from other countries but because the uscis/dhs use the quota to conservatively hence at the end of the visa year there are still many quotas left. ROW priority date has never been current for a very long time Would you prefer to work with 7 immigrants from India and OR 2 from India, 1 from Germany, 1 from Zimbabwe, 1 from Argentina, 1 from Slovakia and 1 from Burma? The bill will not only hurt professional immigrants from other countries but also will hurt diversity, the core and sacred believe of American people...

Comment by H1worker (June 30, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

J. Hirch, or hhhhh or doxa, Doesn't seem like you are very smart to be employed. There are thousands of EB applicant already in the US who are backlogged. How does granting them a GC now or in 15 years effect GC?...

Comment by H1worker (June 30, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Comment by John Matteson (June 24, 2008, 01:00:00)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Surprised to learn that there is a per country ceiling and discrimination in employment based immigration. When employers looks to hire someone they look at the qualifications, skills not where they were born! The argument that per country limit ensures diversity seems to be absurd since same quantity of visa numbers are given to 1 billion + population and a country with 1 million. Good that Congress is fixing this discrimination. America needs skilled immigration without any discrimination based on country of birth. Such discrimination is unamerican, and is against the fundamental American fairness. It does make sense to retain per country limits on family immigration to ensure diversity....

Comment by John Matteson (June 24, 2008, 01:00:00)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Comment by Indian (June 24, 2008, 01:00:00)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

To those who have posted against Indians. They are selfish enough to want to jump ahead of the queue. My question to them is no one is stopping you to compete with Indians to get H1b. So why should you get a preferential treatment when it comes to green card? Why is it that Indians and Chinese are made to wait longer than anyone else? I agree that people in other countries are as smart as Indians, but are we stopping you from applying H1Bs or green cards? We are just thinking of our careers and families when we apply H1Bs. So why should we be discriminated against. The consulting shops are thriving because US businesses want to underpay and take no liability for your career. Dont try to blame it on some Indian guy. This whole argument smells RACISM!!!...

Comment by JK (June 23, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

What the Congress needs to do is to crack down on the H1-B abuse and more specifically the Indian "body shop" companies. Take care of that first and then change try to change the laws....

Comment by KK (June 18, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Immigrants are innovators, if not all, but some for sure. They go on to create jobs for Americans like you and me. Read about the history of Google, Sun Microsystems, Yahoo! and other companies. Ignorance Is Not Bliss!...

Comment by Jeff (June 18, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Since when did Diversity = Skill? I rather let someone be a member of our country by virtue of their skills and what they can offer versus where they are born. Congress needs to wake up and be practical. We need these skilled immigrants......

Revision by webmaster (June 18, 2008, 01:00:00)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Detailed Summary

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Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2008: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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Comment by AM (June 17, 2008, 01:00:00)

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

This is in regard to employment based greencards. So why is diversity of national origin more important than diversity of skills? I think those people who justify such quotas are either beneficiaries who want to jump ahead in the line, or else closet racists. It is incredibly unprofessional to claim that diversity of race is somehow more 'core' to the American workplace rather than diversity of skill. The empoyment based visa is about strengthening the American workforce & economy. These quotas are no doubt anti-business and anti-economy. What would you rather have, as a small business employer? A diversified portfolio of skill-sets, or people from all races? I guess you really need to be a business owner or have a enterpreneurial brain to comprehend why education and skills are more important than race....

Comment by H1worker (June 17, 2008, 01:00:00)

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

To Enrique C: there are thousands of EB applicant already in the US who are backlogged. Granting them a GC now or in 15 years is not going to effect diversity because they are already here. Delaying their GC because of country limits just serves to make their life miserable and accomplishes nothing else....

Comment by H1worker (June 17, 2008, 01:00:00)

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

To J. Hirch: Consider my last comment on diversity. You have to work with the colleagues you have. You can't possibly deport people from some nationality just so that you can maintain your idea of what constitutes diversity at work place....

Comment by Suni (June 16, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Hopefully, when Obama becomes President, he will push this bill to approval and prove that he really believe in change....

Comment by Vish (June 9, 2008, 01:00:00)

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Hi, I came to USA in 2000 thinking that I will get Green Card and settled down here. But it is taking forever. Now I am planning to go back to my country as India is booming, if I don't get GC soon. Remember I will be taking so much of experience with me and tons of money which we earned in the last decade also with me. If ½ million Indians does the same it is not only bad on financial terminology as US will lose $30-$40 US Billions but also lose the higher end technical guys too. It is going to be a severe effect on already struggling economy. On the other hand if the rules are more immigrants friendly and all the ½ million staying back will result in the additional investments of $50 Billion Dollars in the economy and technical brains will get lot more. Any delay will send wrong signals to the large Indian students who come here for MS....

Status as of June 3, 2008

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

6/3/2008: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.