Grassley seeks proof of jobs from H-1B applicants

[OhioChick]

Source: ComputerWorld

As U.S. set to release H-1B visas, Senator renews calls for tougher enforcement

September 29, 2009 06:21 PM ET

Computerworld - WASHINGTON -- One of the U.S. Senate's leading critics of the H-1B visa program, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), is asking immigration officials to toughen their demands for evidence from companies hiring visa workers.

Grassley wants IT consulting companies that hire H-1B workers at third party client sites to prove that there is work waiting for them. The timing of his request to the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service (USCIS) is no accident or is Grassley's interest.

About a year ago, Grassley released a USCIS study that found either evidence of fraud or other violations in one-out-five H-1B visa petitions.

His letter to USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas, released Tuesday, also comes just prior to the start of the new fiscal year, Oct. 1 and the release of 66,700 H-1B visas petitions, a number well short of the cap, applied for since April 1, the start of the annual petition process.

In a statement accompanying the release of his letter to Mayorkas, Grassley said, that "Employers need to be held accountable so that foreign workers are not flooding the market, depressing wages, and taking jobs from qualified Americans. Asking the right questions and requesting the necessary documents will go a long way in getting out the fraud in the H-1B program."



Read more: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9138674/Grassley_seeks_proof_of_jobs_from_H_1B_applicants_?taxonomyId=60

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About damn time. It's something....

[Christa]

1. About time! nt

[jasi2006]

28. This won't go far. Too many "favored" immigrants involved.

Many in science and medical research...the "untochables." They get sancuary, special benifits, and citizenship processing faster than others. For sure, many just stay here, reap the benefits and maintain dual citizenship to avoid certain taxes and prosecutions.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. The party of the working person needs to be out in front of this. n/t

[mamaleah]

5. Oh, you just do not care at all about those poor poor poor

brilliant, hardworking foreign IT workers who do a much better job than you.

They need to eat too!

:sarcasm: (don't think it's necessary but I'll make sure people know it was not a serious comment)

[valerief]

24. Yes, and their countries of origin don't care about them like our country doesn't care about us. nt

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. Translation: Chuck Grassley is up for re-election

See Arlen Specter.

[OhioChick]

7. Grassley and Durbin have been wanting "reform" for years. n/t

[Deja Q]

13. Seconded. Both politicians sound legtimate.

And legitimate people are ones I'd rather support and work with. I think President Obama feels the same way; he's been trying to reach out toward, who summarily refuse anything just because he's a Democrat, not white, or any other excuse to be found.

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. I know -- and he has gone after the NFP churches abusing that statute

I am merely suggesting that this is a rather convenient time to showcase the "populism".

[mule_train]

26. Clarification: Grassley's been on this consistently for over 4 years

try again

[mule_train]

34. I invite all Democrats to oppose H-1b abuse, even if they are just doing it for their re-election

....but all i hear is.....crickets

[Hello_Kitty]

35. Corpo-Dems are in the pocket of big business. eom

[rubberducky]

4. Seems like in a country this size with this many people out of work,

there is NO ONE who could possibly fill thier jobs. Are we really supposed to believe that?

[Deja Q]

16. Apparently.

[emilyg]

17. Don't believe it for a minute.

[AngryOldDem]

32. That was the argument 10+ years ago...

When the tide of IT layoffs was starting to build. Companies couldn't "find" anyone to take open positions.

Bad economy aside, it was bullshit then and even more bullshit today.

[stray cat]

6. Its already being done that way for years - yet those who don't know how it works applaud

no wonder the repubs are always winning - the gullible masses will fall for anything. Who here has ever applied for permission to put someone on an H1 visa - not only do you have to prove they are best for the job and you are hiring them they have to win a random lottery and if they don't win you can't hire them.

[mother earth]

10. I thought it went beyond "best", I thought they had to prove

there was a lack of American trained personnel? Please educate us. TIA

[Sub Atomic]

19. don't hold your breath.

this poster has been pushing the H1B-replacement worker meme since it was a member.

As someone who has had to train their H1B replacement twice, I no longer listen to what these d-bags have to say without laughing out loud at their bullshit.

[mother earth]

8. Let's hope they aren't so easily bypassed like the original

regulations are. The only need for the corporations is CHEAP labor, they aren't fussy about lying to obtain it. There better be some teeth to those who have abused this option, never being able to use it again would be best.

Why aren't there incentives for training programs for Americans instead of the rush for out of country counterparts?

[stray cat]

9. Its called public education - and americans are not very good at it

[mother earth]

11. Am I confusing programs, I thought this was the program

that brings in IT personnel and others. If so, that's beyond public education no?

And I clearly remember viewing videos that proved upper management was giving classes to their employees on how to bypass the regulations.

It's not an issue of education, it's really a question of the money saved for corporations by hiring outside workers.

[Deja Q]

15. This stuff really should be obvious. Then again, there is a HUGE irony...

if he exemplifies the typical dumb, uneducated American...

:hide:

[OhioChick]

12. You believe everything that you're "told."

:eyes:

[mother earth]

20. If that comment is for me, I tried to read the rest of the

article at your link, unfortunately it did not work. I'm sorry, I was under the impression this was a place of discussion, I'm not familiar with every single poster here. But, hey, thanks for YOUR courtesy. :shrug:

[OhioChick]

21. I wasn't responding to you.

Chill out. :)

[mother earth]

31. Sorry, OhioChick, some can be nasty. Too jumpy, I guess.

:blush:

[OhioChick]

33. No Problem.

:hi:

[Demit]

22. You can see who a poster is replying to by looking at the number on the upper right of their post

OhioChick was replying to Post #9, not you.

[mother earth]

30. Thanks, never noticed that.

:thumbsup:

[Deja Q]

14. Yes. That's why we offshore jobs. Hey, have you noticed

that many products coming in have poorly written documentation, have parts that are put on backwards or won't fit because the manufacturer screwed up on counting, and other things?

Uh-oh. Americans aren't the only dumb ones or, oh my word, what if it's a lame excuse to scapegoat people as being dumb just so they can pad their pockets with more money? :think:

[valerief]

23. All he has to do is look at all the IT workers who've been laid off. That's where the H1B workers

get their jobs.

[SandWalker1984]

25. Exactly! My brother was in IT, now he's pounding nails, literally....

Because he had worked his way to the top of the pay scale, now he's unemployable in the IT field. He spent a fortune going to college, graduating with honors & has great skills but can't get work in his field so is pounding nails, doing carpentry work for homeowners & making a lot less money.

So much for going to college to achieve the American dream.

[mule_train]

27. I worked at a place where H-1bs were hired 'to the bench' all the time

which is totally illegal, and what Grassley is talking about

'to the bench' = a body shop hiring an h-1b when there is no assignment yet to put them on, meaning NO SHORTAGE, and glutting the local market with an undeployed worker

body shops do this all the time

GO GRASSLEY!!!!!

[ChromeFoundry]

29. good for Grassley...

Where is Dick Durbin? I know that he's been on board with Grassley on this.