INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - APRIL 2007
The Month that was ...

US STRIVES FOR IMMIGRATION REFORMS

IMMIGRATION reform is once again at the centre stage on the Hill. A Bill introduced in the US House of Representatives by Democrat Luis V Gutierrez and Republican Jeff Flake provides for an increase in the number of non-immigrant highly-skilled worker (H-1B) visas from 65,000 a year to 115,000 and immigrant employment-based (EB) visas from 140,000 to 290,000. The Strive Act of 2007 (Security through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy) focuses on illegal immigrants, border security and increase in legal immigration.

Described as a continuation of previous efforts at immigration reform, the Strive Act is a comprehensive bipartisan legislation. According to Gutierrez, the Strive Act is all about security - homeland, family and economic security. "It will allow us to better protect our borders and reform an immigration system that is hampering businesses, hurting families and harming communities," he explained.

The legislation, HR 1645, which was introduced in the House last week, has already garnered as many as 29 cosponsors. The bill proposes that the H-1B visa cap can be increased in the subsequent year, if the annual cap is reached during the course of the fiscal year. This proposal is particularly important as over the last few years, the annual cap on H-1B has often been reached within a month into the fiscal year or even before the fiscal year against which the visa was issued.

Like the Skil Bill introduced in the US Senate last year, the Strive Act proposes exempting individuals who have earned an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering, or math at US University from the cap. Unused employment based immigrant visas from previous fiscal years can be recaptured and made available for future fiscal years.