As you know, there are no normal H-1B visa numbers available for the next year, until October 1, 2007.
The H-1B visa limit was filled on May 26, 2006, 16 months before the end of the next fiscal year.
KILP, working with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, is organizing U.S. employers to ‘sign on’ to a letter that will be sent to each member of Congress urging an increase in the H-1B quota. We urge you to agree to sign that letter, which is pasted in below.
As you may recall, 195,000 H-1B numbers were available FY 2001 to FY 2003. The annual H-1B quota dropped to just 65,000, our current allotment, in FY 2004. Since ‘cut-outs’ are made for certain H-1B visa petitions from Chile and Singapore, there are really only about 58,000 H-1B visa numbers generally available each year, except for an extra 20,000 for advanced degree holders from US universities.
If you, on behalf of your employer, would lend your name to the letter to Congress, chances of raising the H cap back to a more rational level would improve. We hope to have 1,000 companies, universities, and other entities sign the letter. Please reply to our firm’s lawyer that normally handles your cases by email to let us know if your company is willing to ‘sign on’ to the letter below. You don’t need to actually sign and send the letter; just tell your contact lawyer at our firm that you are willing to sign it. Please let us know if you are agreeing to sign on behalf of the headquarters office or your local office.
Only your company name, city and state need appear. Individual responsible persons at a company need not be named.
Thank you in advance for your help on this important issue!
If you have any questions about current status of the H-1B visa program, please contact:
H. Ronald Klasko:
Telephone: 215.825.8608
Email: rklasko@klaskolaw.com
William Stock:
Telephone: 215.825.8607
Email: wstock@klaskolaw.com
TEXT OF THE SIGN-ON LETTER:
American Businesses and Universities Call for Relief from the H-1B Blackout Crisis
DATE
The Honorable __________
United States Congress
Washington, DC ______
Re: Employment Crisis
Dear Senator/Representative ________:
We are writing to urge Congress to take immediate steps to address the crisis facing American businesses and educational institutions as a result of an H-1B “blackout.” In a situation that has become dire, companies seeking access to the best and brightest global talent are now confronted with an unprecedented sixteen-month restriction on access to new H-1B employees.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the FY 2007 numerical cap limiting the H-1B program for temporary professional workers was reached on May 26, 2006, four months prior to the start of the fiscal year. This means that U.S. companies will be denied access to topflight global talent for over 16 months, disrupting-if not destroying- crucial research and development projects in critical industries. It will also retard technological innovation and undermine our ability to create and sustain domestic employment opportunities.
Every day that passes without access to these high-skilled workers is a lost opportunity for growth, productivity, and innovation. The undersigned entities thus urge swift Congressional action to provide relief from the H-1B blackout. If U.S. companies do not gain immediate access to the best and brightest, our competitors on the global stage will continue to advance and America’s competitive advantage will decline.
We thank you for your attention in this urgent matter.
