Skil bill reintroduced to Senate

Date: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 9:52 PM

<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1672 -- 4/11/2007 >>>>>

Senator John Cornyn (R - TX) reintroduced the Securing Knowledge,
Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2007 or the "SKIL Act of 2007". This is
the second major bill introduced this year to Congress in order to
dramatically increase the number of H-1B visas.

The Co-Sponsors of the new Skil Bill are:

Sen Allard, Wayne [R-CO] - 4/10/2007
Sen Bennett, Robert F. [R-UT] - 4/10/2007
Sen Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX] - 4/10/2007
Sen Lott, Trent [R-MS] - 4/10/2007

The only good news is that the bill doesn't have any Democrats as
co-sponsors. Don't count on that situation lasting very long.

It's interesting to note that the bill hasn't been offically posted on
Thomas.gov, and yet Cornyn sent advanced copies of the bill to the Indian
American Friendship Council (IAFC) and to members of the Indian PAC
ImmigrationVoice. I would wager money that Cornyn didn't send copies of the
bill to NumbersUSA or FAIRUS!

An article appeared on Internetnews that had a very weird ending:

Despite Grassley and Durbin's objections, Congress has generally
favored expanding the H1-B program but the program is tied to
larger immigration reform.

This author is way off base because the Durbin/Grassley bill does nothing
to limit the cap on H-1B visas although it does contain some cosmetic
reforms. As explained in the previous newsletter, Grassley and Durbin have
a very long history of supporting increases in the H-1B cap. It would be
fair to say that there has never been a proposal to increase the cap that
they haven't voted for. Just recently Grassley's office said they support
an increase.

The introduction of the Skil bill and the Durbin/Grassley H-1B/L-1 "reform"
bill happened within a week of each other. My guess is that the Senate is
working in concert with each other to pitch a deal to the American public
-- they will give us "reforms" and they will give us massive increases in
the H-1B cap. It's a lousy deal.

Materials Included

Summary of the Skil Bill

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3671211
Bills Would Expand H1-B Visa Quotas

http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4003&page=3
Post on Immigrationvoice website by smmakani

http://thomas.loc.gov
Congressional Record
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - April 10,
2007)
[Page: S4308] S . 1083

http://www.competeamerica.org/news/alliance_pr/20070410_cornyn.html
Cornyn Visa Reform Bill Endorsed by Compete America

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SUMMARY OF THE SKIL BILL

S. 1083 hasn't been posted on Thomas.gov yet. Assuming that the Skil bill
is unchanged, and assuming the post by IAFC is final, this is a summary of
what it contains:

o H-1B Visas: Increases the annual cap of 65,000 to 115,000. Automatically
increases the new cap by 20 percent each year the cap is hit, and creates a
new exemption to the cap for anyone who has an "advanced degree in science,
technology, engineering, or math" from any foreign university. No provision
was included that would reduce the cap if the previous year's limit was not
met.

o Conversion of H-1B to Green Cards: Workers are eligible for green cards
and would be allowed to stay and work in the United States for as long as
it takes to process the green card application. As long as an H-1B visa
holder applies for a Green Card, he/she can stay in the U.S. forever, so
effectively H-1B will no longer be a temporary visa.

o Employment Based Green Cards: The bill would increase the annual cap on
employment-based green cards by more than 500 percent, upping the current
cap of 140,000 to 450,000 until 2016 and to 290,000 thereafter and
exempting all immediate family members that currently count against the cap
today (spouses, children and parents) from the newly escalated cap.

o F-4 Visas: This new visa is perhaps the most pernicious part of the Skil
bill. It allows foreign students to work as they go to school, and then to
look for work for up to two years after graduating. They are put on a fast
track to a Green Card if they do find work, so they don't even have to get
an H-1B first! The F-4 visa will put foreign students in direct competition
for scarce internships, which will make it much more difficult for American
students to work and study, and to find work after graduation. When you
think about it, if there is a shortage of workers with advanced degrees,
why do foreign graduates who are supposedly the "best and the brightest"
need two years to find a job?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3671211

Bills Would Expand H1-B Visa Quotas

By Roy Mark
April 11, 2007

Bills to expand H1-B visas are stacking up like cordwood in Congress. A
favorite among the technology industry, H1-B visas allow U.S. companies to
sponsor foreign born U.S. graduates in science, engineering and math for up
to six years of U.S. employment.

In the wake of last week's announcement that the 2008 allotment of 85,000
H1-B visas was expended after only one day, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.)
reintroduced Tuesday his Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership
(SKIL) bill.

The legislation would exempt from the H1-B visa quotas U.S. educated
foreign workers with advanced degrees in math, science, technology and
engineering fields. The bill would also create a market-based H-1B cap,
expanding or decreasing depending on demand.

Last month, U.S. Reps. Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Jeff Flake
(R-Ariz.) introduced the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a
Vibrant Economy Act of 2007 (STRIVE), which would expand the current H1-B
cap of 65,000 to 115,000. Under the bill, the cap would jump to 180,000 in
any year after the 115,000 limit is reached.

The legislation would also exempt foreign born U.S. graduates with advanced
technical degrees from the H1-B visa cap.

"Action this year is vital to U.S. competitiveness," Paula Collins, vice
president of government relations for Texas Instruments and co-chair of
Compete America, said in a statement. "To remain competitive, high-tech
firms need to be able to hire and retain the best science and engineering
talent in the world, especially graduates of U.S. universities."

Compete America, a coalition of technology companies lobbying for H1-B visa
reform, points to last week's quick allotment of visas as proof that
Congress needs to act this year. Without a change in the system, technology
companies will face an 18-month "blackout period" until H1-B visa workers
can be hired for the 2009 cycle.

"Senator Cornyn's re-introduction of the SKIL Bill recognizes that the H-1B
visa crisis and green card backlogs are symptoms of an immigration system
that is not aligned to today's U.S. innovation economy," Collins said.

Not everyone in Congress, though, is for expanding H1-B visas. Last week,
U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced
legislation to overhaul the entire program to give American workers
priority over H1-B visa workers and crack down on employers who misuse the
visas, including paying the foreign workers salaries less than the U.S.
prevailing rate.

The legislation would require all employers seeking to hire an H1-B worker
to certify they have made a good faith effort to hire American workers
first and that the H1-B visa holder would not displace an American worker.
Under the bill, employers must first advertise the job opening for 30 days
on a Department of Labor Web site before applying for H1-B workers.

"Our immigration policy should seek to complement our U.S. workforce, not
replace it," Durbin said in a joint statement with Grassley. "Some
employers have abused the H-1B [program]... to bypass qualified American
job applicants. This bill will set up safeguards for American workers."

Despite Grassley and Durbin's objections, Congress has generally favored
expanding the H1-B program but the program is tied to larger immigration
reform.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4003&page=3

Today, 08:09 PM

smmakani

Junior Member

Join Date: Sep 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcnirvana

Where did you get the text from? Its still unavailable in thomas.gov

My company's Vice president sent the email and skill bill text attached to
all the employees. He served as the Texas State coordinator of the Indian
American Friendship Council (IAFC) a national, non-profit organization. He
had a very number of opportunities to meet and work with many US policy
makers including US Senator John Cornyn (4th highest ranking person in the
Republican Party).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://thomas.loc.gov

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - April 10,
2007)

[Page: S4308]

By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Lott, Mr. Allard, and Mrs.
Hutchison):

S . 1083 . A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to

increase competitiveness in the United States, and for other purposes; to
the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing legislation from

last Congress--the Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of
2007 or the ``SKIL Act of 2007''. In the past two years, there has been so
much focus by this Congress and this Administration on restoring America's
competitive advantage. The President has proposed the America's
Competitiveness Initiative. Last Congress, I was proud to cosponsor the
Protecting America's Competitive Edge bills and the American Innovation and
Competitiveness Act of 2006. In the 110th Congress, I have cosponsored
along with 44 other Senators the America COMPETES Act. This is a bipartisan
legislative response to recommendations contained in the National
Academies' ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'' report and the Council on
Competitiveness' ``Innovate America'' report.

The one thing we have learned through the process of retaining America's

competitiveness is that everyone has to do their part to keep our country's
economy strong and viable. Currently, we are working very hard on
comprehensive immigration reform and I am pleased to be a part of that
process. However, our country, right now, is losing its competitive edge in
the global market. Why? Because our immigration policies prohibit us from
retaining some of the ``best and brightest'' students currently graduating
from U.S. colleges and universities--especially those with advanced degrees
in science and technology. We also continue to lose highly qualified and
highly skilled workers to foreign competitors because of our failed
immigration system.

Recently Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates made it clear the dire situation

we are faced with today in terms of high-skilled labor shortages:

``For generations, America has prospered largely by attracting the

world's best and brightest to study, live, and work in the United States.
Our success at attracting the greatest talent has helped us become a global
innovation leader, enriched our culture, and created economic opportunities
for all Americans.

Unfortunately, America's immigration policies are driving away the

world's best and brightest precisely when we need them most ..... Moreover,
the terrible shortfall in our visa supply for the highly skilled stems not
from security concerns, but from visa policies that have not been updated
in over a decade and a half. We live in a

[Page: S4311] GPO's PDFdifferent economy now. Simply put: It makes no
sense to tell well-trained, highly skilled individuals--many of whom are
educated at our top colleges and universities--that the United States does
not welcome or value them. For too many foreign students and professionals,
however, our immigration policies send precisely this message.

This should be deeply troubling to us, both in human terms and in terms

of our own economic self-interest. America will find it infinitely more
difficult to maintain its technological leadership if it shuts out the very
people who are most able to help us compete. Other nations are recognizing
and benefiting from this situation. They are crafting their immigration
policies to attract highly talented students and professionals who would
otherwise study, live, and work here. Our lost opportunities are their
gains.''

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that between 2002 and 2012 there

will be 2 million U.S. job openings in the fields of computer science,
mathematics, engineering and the physical sciences. The SKIL bill would
retain foreign students educated in the U.S. to ensure continued
competition in the global market.

As I have stated before, a critical part of America's economy is our

ability to innovate but our current immigration policies are threatening
future growth. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's recent
announcement that the 2008 cap for H-1B workers was met in one day makes
clear that we urgently need to reform our policies for highly-skilled
workers in the scientific and technology fields. Because the U.S. has
already met the cap for H-1B visas, foreign students graduating from our
universities this spring are virtually shut out of the U.S. job market.
This situation is unprecedented. If we don't act, America's technology
companies will be harmed and our economy will suffer. The SKIL bill will
allow the U.S. to remain competitive in this global economy.

The SKIL bill promotes competitiveness and allows the U.S. to remain

competitive in this global economy. While I encourage and intend to be a
part of the continued dialogue on overall immigration reform, I urge my
colleagues to act quickly on this issue.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.competeamerica.org/news/alliance_pr/20070410_cornyn.html

Cornyn Visa Reform Bill Endorsed by Compete America

Coalition Urges SKIL Bill Provisions to be Included in Comprehensive
Immigration Reform

Washington D.C. -- Compete America today praised the introduction of the
"SKIL Bill" by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and urged that the bills
provisions to reform both the H-1B visa and employment based (EB visa)
green card processes be included in a Senate comprehensive immigration
reform measure.

The Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership (SKIL) Bill contains
measures that are crucial to alleviating the crisis facing U.S. employers
of highly educated foreign professionals. A similar version of this
legislation was included -- along with other essential reforms -- in
the comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate last year.

"Senator Cornyn's re-introduction of the SKIL Bill recognizes that the H-1B
visa crisis and green card backlogs are symptoms of an immigration system
that is not aligned to today's U.S. innovation economy," stated Paula
Collins, Vice President of Government Relations for Texas Instruments and
co-chair of Compete America.

The unprecedented announcement last week by the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) that the FY 2008 allotment of H-1B visas was
met on the very first day applications were accepted was cited as evidence
that reform of the visa system for highly educated foreign professionals is
critical and must be enacted this year. Not only was the H-1B visa
allotment for FY 08 used up in a single day; it is estimated that
one-half of those who filed will not receive a visa, as they will not be
selected in the pending USCIS random selection "lottery." Unless Congress
acts, U.S. employers will face an eighteen-month "blackout period" until an
H-1B worker can be hired in FY 2009 -- and that assumes they will be
fortunate enough to be selected in next years USCIS visa lottery.

"To remain competitive, high-tech firms need to be able to hire and retain
the best science and engineering talent in the world, especially graduates
of U.S. universities. We urge Congress to work on a bipartisan basis to
enact the provisions of the SKIL Bill as part of comprehensive immigration
reform," Collins continued.

Both the H-1B and EB visa/green card programs have been responsible for
welcoming and retaining much needed foreign talent to live and work in the
United States, and most importantly, to make significant contributions to
the U.S. economy and global competitiveness. However, H-1B shortages have
been well documented, and backlogs in the green card system are getting
worse, forcing thousands of valued foreign-born professionals --
including researchers, scientists, teachers and engineers -- into legal
and professional limbo for years.

Among the provisions of the SKIL Bill endorsed by Compete America are the
following:

Exemptions for U.S. educated foreign workers with advanced degrees in math,
science, technology and engineering fields from the H-1B and EB quotas so
their talent can be retained in the United States.
Creation of a flexible, market-based H-1B cap so that U.S. employers are
not locked out of hiring critical talent.
Extension of foreign students post curricular optional practical
training from 12 months to 24 months to allow them to go more easily from
student to green card.
Exemptions for EB/green card immigrant spouses and children from the annual
cap, thus making more visas available for the professionals we need.
"Action this year is vital to U.S. competitiveness. We are grateful to
Senator Cornyn for his continued leadership, and look forward to working
with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to enact this common
sense legislation," Collins concluded.

Initial co-sponsors for the SKIL Bill include Senators Allard (R-CO),
Bennett (R-UT), Hutchison (R-TX) and Lott (R-MS).

For more information on how highly educated immigration benefits America,
please visit www.competeamerica.org.

Compete America (www.competeamerica.org) is a coalition of corporations,
educators, research institutions and trade associations concerned about
legal, employment-based immigration and committed to ensuring that the
United States has the highly educated workforce necessary to ensure
continued innovation, job creation and leadership in a worldwide economy.

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