May 14th, 2013 was a busy day for the United States Senate Judiciary Committee Majority. The day started with a press release from the committee that stressed the need for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) as it relates to the labor needs of the country. The press release included this elucidating tidbit of information: The dot-com revolution in the U.S. was fueled by foreign-born nationals who founded technology start-ups such as eBay, Google and Yahoo! This accounts for about 25 percent of all major information technology firms founded in the U.S. from 1990 to 2005. If you are currently seeking permanent employment in the U.S. for a technology or specialty occupation and would like more information, click here.
The CIR as proposed by the Senatorial Gang of Eight seems poised to continue advancing through legislative channels at full speed, but not without hearing all sides of the issue as our democratic system calls for. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is one of the most passionate opponents of the CIR; he presented an amendment to reduce the number of immigrants that the CIR would allow into the U.S.
Observers of the Committee meeting noted that immigration figures presented by Senator Sessions’ were exaggerated projections and that his proposal for 11 million undocumented immigrants to get their green cards through a strict and bureaucratic process undermined the efficient path to citizenship sought by the CIR proposal. In the end, Senator Sessions’ proposals were voted down.
Pro-Immigration Amendments Welcomed
Even supporters of Senator Sessions remarked that his approach before the Committee may have been too forceful. In the end, most of the essentially anti-immigrant proposed amendments were rejected. The amendments that passed include the creation of a toll-free hotline to report H-1B visa violations and the increase of a Labor Certification Fee for employment-base immigration programs.
The amendments thus far have done little to simplify the massive scope of the CIR. Immigrants and employers who are following the CIR developments may feel mystified by the multiple issues presented by the Senatorial Gang of Eight in a single tome. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and law firms across the U.S. are closely following the developments and providing analysis to clients in a manner that they can easily understand.
If you would like more information on the comprehensive immigration reform or have questions about current immigration status, don’t hesitate to contact Kazmi and Sakata Immigration Law in San Diego. Call 858-8740711 to schedule a free consultation today.
