Plan to Raise H-1b Cap by 30,000 Moves to Negotiation Stage

The number of H-1b visas available to U.S. companies each year may increase by 30,000 if a Senate Judiciary Committee proposal is upheld over the next few weeks of negotiations.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Plan to Raise H-1b Cap by 30,000

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I strongly oppose the Senate Judiciary Committee's compromise proposal that would allow 30,000 additional H-1B visas each year. Instead, I urge you to support the current House Judiciary Committee's proposal, which would raise the L-1 visa fee to $1,500, but does not add any extra visas in either program. The increased fees would bring in more revenue, but would also more accurately reflect the cost to our society for supporting such programs.

It's well known by workers that the visa programs are awash with abuse by employers. They displace American workers, depress wages, and discourage young people from pursuing careers in the high-tech industry. It also puts foreign workers at risk and may further a "brain drain" in other countries. Most alarming, it encourages employers to use contingent staffing solutions, instead of creating jobs that support workers, their families, and their communities. This approach should only be used when it is essential, not as a permanent staffing strategy.

I urge you to consider the social costs of these visa programs and rein them in with increased costs, instead of expanding them with extra visas. As a high-tech worker, I am depending on you!

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 27, 2005

Background Information

The number of H-1b visas available to U.S. companies each year may increase by 30,000 if a Senate Judiciary Committee proposal is upheld over the next few weeks of negotiations.

Led by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who wanted an increase of 60,000 extra visas, the 18-member committee settled on an amendment from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would allow 30,000 more H-1B visas and increase employer-paid fees by $500 for each six-year visa. The proposal also would raise the fees for L-1 visas by $750.

The proposal now goes to the House Judiciary Committee, which has proposed raising the L-1 fee to $1,500 but not adding any extra visas, for negotiations.

Proponents of additional visas say fees will help pay for a bloated federal budget that has faced huge expenditures for hurricanes and the ongoing war in Iraq. Under the Senate proposal, the extra H-1b visa revenue would annually add $30 million to the budget.

Worker advocates see the move as yet another industry sales pitch for cheap labor.