A guide to H-1B, green card reform

[OhioChick]

There is increasing activity on high-skill visa reform in Congress. Here's what to watch for.

July 29, 2011 06:00 AM ET

WASHINGTON -- Unlike with the debt limit debate, there is bipartisan interest in Congress in reforming high-skill immigration. New legislation is on its way, and here's what to watch for.
What bills have been introduced or are coming?

In the House, the most important Democratic initiative is from Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), whose district includes Silicon Valley. Her bill would make green cards available to students who earn advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- the so-called STEM fields. However, it isn't expected to go anywhere.

The person to watch instead is Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), who heads the House Judiciary Committee. Smith appears interested in some limited immigration changes expected in a bill from Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah). Chaffetz's bill, which is due "soon," is expected to call for elimination of the per-country limits on employment-based visas -- as green cards are officially called.

The U.S. has a cap of 140,000 employment-based visas a year. Spouses and children of the workers are counted against that cap. The U.S. limits the number of green cards per country to no more than 7% of the total available visas. In India, where there is a big demand for green cards, the wait for one can be as long as 10 years.

More: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218730/A_guide_to_H_1B_green_card_reform

Snip "In the H-1B debate, there is an often repeated belief that U.S. citizens must be given preference over foreigners in the hiring process. That's not true.