Chaffetz Introduces Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Hunton & Williams LLP

On September 22, 2011, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced HR 3012 in the House.  The Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act would eliminate the annual cap on green card numbers for employment-based immigrants and increase the cap for family-based immigrants.  Currently, foreign nationals who are sponsored by their employers for permanent jobs in the US wait up to 8 or 9 years for a green card because per-country allocations -- originally set by Congress decades ago -- have never been raised to keep pace with changing economic and technological needs.  The long waiting lists create additional hardship and expense for employers and employees alike.  Employers who wish to contact their representatives to express support for HR 3012 may do so online at this House of Representatives link.

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First Visa Bulletin of Fiscal Year Shows Long Waits for Green Cards

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Hunton & Williams LLP

On September 10, 2009, the U.S. Department of State released the October 2009 Visa Bulletin.  As anticipated, the news is not good.  Waiting lists for Indian and Chinese nationals whose U.S. employers have sponsored them for positions that require advanced degrees are backed up to early 2005.  For positions that require at least a bachelor's degree, wait lists stand at early 2002 for all nationalities except Indians (mid-2001).  Family-based categories are also painfully oversubscribed.  Depending on their nationalities, spouses and children of U.S. permanent residents must wait 4 to 6 years, and unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens must wait 6 to 16 years.  The complete October Visa Bulletin may be read here.

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