Skil bill Reintroduced????

[desolate]

Compete America - The Alliance for a Competitive Workforce

Eric Thomas or Frances Cox
202-822-9491

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2007

Cornyn Visa Reform Bill Endorsed by Compete America

Coalition Urges ‘SKIL Bill’ Provisions to be Included in Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Washington D.C. – Compete America today praised the introduction of the “SKIL Bill” by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and urged that the bill’s provisions to reform both the H-1B visa and employment based (EB visa) green card processes be included in a Senate comprehensive immigration reform measure.

The Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership (SKIL) Bill contains measures that are crucial to alleviating the crisis facing U.S. employers of highly educated foreign professionals. A similar version of this legislation was included – along with other essential reforms – in the comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate last year.

“Senator Cornyn's re-introduction of the SKIL Bill recognizes that the H-1B visa crisis and green card backlogs are symptoms of an immigration system that is not aligned to today's U.S. innovation economy,” stated Paula Collins, Vice President of Government Relations for Texas Instruments and co-chair of Compete America.

The unprecedented announcement last week by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that the FY 2008 allotment of H-1B visas was met on the very first day applications were accepted was cited as evidence that reform of the visa system for highly educated foreign professionals is critical and must be enacted this year. Not only was the H-1B visa allotment for FY ’08 used up in a single day; it is estimated that one-half of those who filed will not receive a visa, as they will not be selected in the pending USCIS random selection “lottery.” Unless Congress acts, U.S. employers will face an eighteen-month “blackout period” until an H-1B worker can be hired in FY 2009 – and that assumes they will be fortunate enough to be selected in next year’s USCIS visa lottery.
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We are aware and in touch with the concerned people. This is a place holder bill. This are indications that this can be folded into CIR. Our action items for this bill will come based on how the CIR will move forward.- Admin
____________

[shirish]

Is this true? What is the source? can you paste the link?

Originally Posted by desolate

Compete America - The Alliance for a Competitive Workforce

Eric Thomas or Frances Cox
202-822-9491

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2007

Cornyn Visa Reform Bill Endorsed by Compete America

Coalition Urges ‘SKIL Bill’ Provisions to be Included in Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Washington D.C. – Compete America today praised the introduction of the “SKIL Bill” by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and urged that the bill’s provisions to reform both the H-1B visa and employment based (EB visa) green card processes be included in a Senate comprehensive immigration reform measure.

The Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership (SKIL) Bill contains measures that are crucial to alleviating the crisis facing U.S. employers of highly educated foreign professionals. A similar version of this legislation was included – along with other essential reforms – in the comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate last year.

“Senator Cornyn's re-introduction of the SKIL Bill recognizes that the H-1B visa crisis and green card backlogs are symptoms of an immigration system that is not aligned to today's U.S. innovation economy,” stated Paula Collins, Vice President of Government Relations for Texas Instruments and co-chair of Compete America.

The unprecedented announcement last week by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that the FY 2008 allotment of H-1B visas was met on the very first day applications were accepted was cited as evidence that reform of the visa system for highly educated foreign professionals is critical and must be enacted this year. Not only was the H-1B visa allotment for FY ’08 used up in a single day; it is estimated that one-half of those who filed will not receive a visa, as they will not be selected in the pending USCIS random selection “lottery.” Unless Congress acts, U.S. employers will face an eighteen-month “blackout period” until an H-1B worker can be hired in FY 2009 – and that assumes they will be fortunate enough to be selected in next year’s USCIS visa lottery.

[yabadaba]

http://www.competeamerica.org/news/a...10_cornyn.html

do a google search sometimes

[yabadaba]

Uma Thurman ...please help us!!!!

[shirish]

Ya , i found the link on google. But the release does not say specifically, when the bill was re-introduced. More over no news from CORE team as well, hence trying to check if this is true.

Originally Posted by yabadaba

http://www.competeamerica.org/news/a...10_cornyn.html

do a google search sometimes

[sraj49]

Bill no S 1083 intorduced yesterday

http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d110:3:./temp/~bdtNEo:@@@X|/bss/d110query.html|

[Legal]

By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Lott, Mr. Allard, and Mrs. Hutchison):

S. 1083. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase competitiveness in the United States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing legislation from last Congress--the Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2007 or the ``SKIL Act of 2007''. In the past two years, there has been so much focus by this Congress and this Administration on restoring America's competitive advantage. The President has proposed the America's Competitiveness Initiative. Last Congress, I was proud to cosponsor the Protecting America's Competitive Edge bills and the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2006. In the 110th Congress, I have cosponsored along with 44 other Senators the America COMPETES Act. This is a bipartisan legislative response to recommendations contained in the National Academies' ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'' report and the Council on Competitiveness' ``Innovate America'' report.

The one thing we have learned through the process of retaining America's competitiveness is that everyone has to do their part to keep our country's economy strong and viable. Currently, we are working very hard on comprehensive immigration reform and I am pleased to be a part of that process. However, our country, right now, is losing its competitive edge in the global market. Why? Because our immigration policies prohibit us from retaining some of the ``best and brightest'' students currently graduating from U.S. colleges and universities--especially those with advanced degrees in science and technology. We also continue to lose highly qualified and highly skilled workers to foreign competitors because of our failed immigration system.

Recently Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates made it clear the dire situation we are faced with today in terms of high-skilled labor shortages:

``For generations, America has prospered largely by attracting the world's best and brightest to study, live, and work in the United States. Our success at attracting the greatest talent has helped us become a global innovation leader, enriched our culture, and created economic opportunities for all Americans.

Unfortunately, America's immigration policies are driving away the world's best and brightest precisely when we need them most ..... Moreover, the terrible shortfall in our visa supply for the highly skilled stems not from security concerns, but from visa policies that have not been updated in over a decade and a half. We live in a

[Page: S4311] GPO's PDFdifferent economy now. Simply put: It makes no sense to tell well-trained, highly skilled individuals--many of whom are educated at our top colleges and universities--that the United States does not welcome or value them. For too many foreign students and professionals, however, our immigration policies send precisely this message.
This should be deeply troubling to us, both in human terms and in terms of our own economic self-interest. America will find it infinitely more difficult to maintain its technological leadership if it shuts out the very people who are most able to help us compete. Other nations are recognizing and benefiting from this situation. They are crafting their immigration policies to attract highly talented students and professionals who would otherwise study, live, and work here. Our lost opportunities are their gains.''

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that between 2002 and 2012 there will be 2 million U.S. job openings in the fields of computer science, mathematics, engineering and the physical sciences. The SKIL bill would retain foreign students educated in the U.S. to ensure continued competition in the global market.

As I have stated before, a critical part of America's economy is our ability to innovate but our current immigration policies are threatening future growth. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's recent announcement that the 2008 cap for H-1B workers was met in one day makes clear that we urgently need to reform our policies for highly-skilled workers in the scientific and technology fields. Because the U.S. has already met the cap for H-1B visas, foreign students graduating from our universities this spring are virtually shut out of the U.S. job market. This situation is unprecedented. If we don't act, America's technology companies will be harmed and our economy will suffer. The SKIL bill will allow the U.S. to remain competitive in this global economy.

The SKIL bill promotes competitiveness and allows the U.S. to remain competitive in this global economy. While I encourage and intend to be a part of the continued dialogue on overall immigration reform, I urge my colleagues to act quickly on this issue.

[yabadaba]

same pinch

[sraj49]

Sorry...Bill number is S 1038 and not 1083 typo error. But Text is not available. Can IV help?

[vicks_don]

Is this introduced seperately or again part of CIR.

[Caliber]

Originally Posted by sraj49

Sorry...Bill number is S 1038 and not 1083 typo error. But Text is not available. Can IV help?

http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/bdquer...temp/~bdT003::

[quizzer]

So we have STRIVE in House and SKIL in Senate?

Is this a good sign that the comprehensive immigration reform is getting a serious thought this year compared to previous years?

IV core team...we are waiting anxiously to hear from you regarding any updates!!!!

Thanks

[subba]

My guess is last week's H1B cap news are a strong factor in the introduction
of this bill now.

[Ramba]

Originally Posted by quizzer

So we have STRIVE in House and SKIL in Senate?

Is this a good sign that the comprehensive immigration reform is getting a serious thought this year compared to previous years?

IV core team...we are waiting anxiously to hear from you regarding any updates!!!!

Thanks

AND THERE IS A ANOTHER BILL (PROPOSAL) IN WHITE HOUSE..

There are so many floating around.. Nothing is going fast..

[pappu]

We are aware and in touch with the concerned people. This is a place holder bill. This are indications that this can be folded into CIR. Our action items for this bill will come based on how the CIR will move forward.