ALERT:Associated Press 'investigative' report on H-1B hiring by Banks proved false

[ashwinkumara]

Evidence that Frank Bass And Rita Beamish, Associated Press Writers are liars and fabricated their 'investigative report'

http://www.nfap.com/pdf/090205policybrief.pdf

Evidence that H1-B creates more jobs.

http://www.nfap.com/pdf/080311h1b.pdf

spread the word.....

N A T I O N A L F O U N D A T I O N F O R A M E R I C A N P O L I C Y
N F A P P O L I C Y B R I E F » F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9
2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201
Tel (703) 351- 5042 | Fax (703) 351-9292 | www.nfap.com
H - 1 B V I S A S A N D F I N A N C I A L INS T I T U T I O N S

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

An Associated Press article (“Banks Look Overseas,” February 2, 2009) created controversy by stating financial
institutions receiving funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) have in the past hired foreign-born
professionals on H-1B visas. Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Bernard Sanders (I-VT) have vowed to
prohibit such institutions from hiring H-1B visa holders. A National Foundation for American Policy analysis finds
the Associated Press overstated the use of H-1B visas by these institutions by focusing on applications filed with
the Department of Labor, which often exaggerate actual visa usage because employers may file applications for
multiple geographic areas for one individual to comply with H-1B wage rules. In fact, if one examines actual
petitions the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued in 2007 none of the 12 largest recipients of TARP
funds hired more than a negligible number of new H-1B visa holders. For example, Bank of America employed
210,000 people in 2007 and received petitions for 66 new H-1B visa holders, representing 0.03 percent of its
workforce. A March 2008 NFAP Policy Brief found rather than displacing Americans, data showed for every H-1B
position requested, U.S. technology companies increased their employment by 5 workers. Examining companies
that had layoffs, the analysis found for every H-1B position requested, total employment was 2 workers more than
it otherwise would have been. It would appear to be an unwise policy choice to deny companies in difficult
circumstances access to talented people only because such individuals were not born in the United States.
Table 1
H-1B Petitions Received by Financial Institutions in 2007


Financial Institution H-1B Petitions for New H-1B Petitions Total Employment
New Professionals as Percentage of
Total Workforce

Citigroup 155 0.04 percent 387,000
Bank of America 66 0.03 percent 210,000
AIG 21 0.02 percent 116,000
JPMorganChase 236 0.14 percent 180,667
Wells Fargo 14 0.01 percent 159,800
Goldman Sachs 227 0.74 percent 30,522
Morgan Stanley 2 0.01 percent 48,256
PNC Financial 13 0.05 percent 28,320
US Bancorp 0 0 percent n/a
GMAC 9 0.03 percent 26,700
SunTrust 5 0.02 percent 32,323
Capitol One 0 0 percent 17,800

Source: USCIS, Hoovers, National Foundation for American Policy. List of top recipients of TARP funding from CNBC. USCIS
data for 2007 are for initial beneficiaries of H-1B petitions. Total employment data can include overseas offices.

[alterego]

I am glad this has happened. Are these "journalists" employed or freelancers for the AP? They have done their profession a huge disservice and have set a new low. It is truly a sad day when a journalist abdicates his/her responsibility to check the facts and instead becomes a propaganda tool for a certain politician or special interest group.
If there was anything called journalistic negligence/malpractice it is this. Facts are stubborn things and these were especially easy to check. Much like the way the Southern Poverty law center, discredited Lou Dobbs for his propaganda masqueraded as facts, here we find another instance of the same. It is obviously a tool of the Anti-immigrant movement, when faced with facts that do not support them. One would hope that this trend is becoming clearer to conventional journalists. This is way beyond anything that can be termed journalistic bias. It is being shown to be outright false.
If this is the level of "journalism" the AP allows to be disseminated through its service, one wonders what is the real difference between them and any conventional blog site.
Serious journalism demands better and this is utterly shameful on all parties involved.

[amsgc]

I say we write to or call the Business editors in the NY Office and let them know what the heck is going on. The two writers of that article have completely misrepresented the facts. It seems to me that the story was intentionally planted just to give some credibility to Sanders and Grassley.

There are a number of editors- anybody know anyone?

http://www.ap.org/pages/contact/address/business.html

The Associated Press

Headquarters
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001

Main Number
+1-212-621-1500

Email: info@ap.org

[snathan]

Originally Posted by amsgc

I say we write to or call the Business editors in the NY Office and let them know what the heck is going on. The two writers of that article have completely misrepresented the facts. It seems to me that the story was intentionally planted just to give some credibility to Sanders and Grassley.

There are a number of editors- anybody know anyone?

http://www.ap.org/pages/contact/address/business.html

The Associated Press

Headquarters
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001

Main Number
+1-212-621-1500

Email: info@ap.org

Let us collect all those Media house email ids and send this pdf to them...

http://www.nfap.com/pdf/090205policybrief.pdf

[senthil1]

If you tell that this story was intentionally planted they may tell that these reports also intentionally planted. Tit for tat will not work out. Best way is to try to convince other 98 Senators by facts. I doubt just for planted reports 100 Senators will support a Bill. Basically it was common that Congress brings many protectionist bills in recession period due to fear. For example in depression era in 1930s they brought a deadly protectionist bill and that was reciprocated by many countries that made economy worst.

Originally Posted by amsgc

I say we write to or call the Business editors in the NY Office and let them know what the heck is going on. The two writers of that article have completely misrepresented the facts. It seems to me that the story was intentionally planted just to give some credibility to Sanders and Grassley.

There are a number of editors- anybody know anyone?

http://www.ap.org/pages/contact/address/business.html

The Associated Press

Headquarters
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001

Main Number
+1-212-621-1500

Email: info@ap.org

[jungalee43]

Fantastic job ahwanikumara. I don't know how to give green, but I give you stars.

IV core - Please publish this information on IV home page.

Also let us bring this to the notice of competeamerica, AILA, computer world and any other like minded orrganization.
Also let us start e-mail campgain to mail this information to all senators, Nancy Peloci, Zoe Lofgren.

Let us expose the ammendment by Grassley, Sanders and company.
What else?

[gapala]

Is it feasable to sue these reporters or AP for misleading public with this baseless irresponsible article? I guess they can get away with an apology issued to public. Lets track to see if this report has resulted in any damages to immigrant communities.

Please post all the references to these articles by public officials if you know any on this thread to track the use of misleading statistics for any decision support. Let us track damaging inaccuracies in the report and consolidate the informaiton in this one thread.

[PresidentO]

Stuart Anderson is one of the rare guys who understand the ins and outs of the Employment based programs. Unfortunately, Stuart is not on the hill and runs the NFAP that has produced some gems (reports). For example, the report on points based system and how it is a grand diversity visa.

That said, Grassley and Sanders just waited for the opportune moment and it came in the form of TARP. These reporters are the ones who called Grassley and talked to him about the banks hiring non immigrant workers. Grassley got the ammunition in the form of AP report, found a partner in crime and came up with an amendment that does not cost a penny directly in the stimulus bill, got it passed by voice vote. It takes a lot to oppose bills such as this, when every one else is not. I mean no senator would not want to be the odd man out and become cannon fodder at the time of reelection. I don't know what Teddy would have done if he was on the floor.

IMO, we need to let the editors at AP and all other 98 senators the facts and how this amendment embraced the protectionist agenda. The language of the text says non immigrant visa and not H1B. So this means not only H1B but also F1/OPT. Imagine the impact business schools will have to suffer. Get your MBA and go home if you are into Finance. Imagine those that are graduating this year and next year. Those best and brightest students from the top 20 business schools who are already peeing in their pants now have to ...??

How about all of us come up with a list of bullet points in this thread so that IV can format a letter for all our members and send it to AP/Senators/Congressmen? Such letters might atleast compell some fence sitters to oppose in the house/senate when next time Grassley or his xenophobic ilk come up with some thing.

[PresidentO]

Originally Posted by amsgc

I say we write to or call the Business editors in the NY Office and let them know what the heck is going on. The two writers of that article have completely misrepresented the facts. It seems to me that the story was intentionally planted just to give some credibility to Sanders and Grassley.

There are a number of editors- anybody know anyone?

http://www.ap.org/pages/contact/address/business.html

The Associated Press

Headquarters
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001

Main Number
+1-212-621-1500

Email: info@ap.org

amsgc,

You are right. The whole idea is of the reporters and they found the senators and gave them ammunition. If you look at the chronology of events, it is all clear. These two reporters come up with error laden writeup, called Grassley and heated him up with the report, went on to print and waited for Grassley/XXXX to do some thing that does not cost a penny. All the fight is about the 800 billion $$ gorilla. Not about the poor souls that get axed because of these reports. As usual Senthil1's tone leans towards the anti's and he does not want to get any thing productive done. The greatest pontificator does not seem to know that it is very common for people to write to editors and point the errors(intentional/unintentional) on a report in their paper. Senthil1 wants us to sit tight on our a$$ and fall prey to the keyboard of Frank & Rita. Good editors take the input and do their own evaluation and will talk with those reporters before letting them unleash again.

The anti's are better, they atleast tell they dont like us. What can we do if one among us is a rogue? Cant ignore because he will wreck the whole thing. Perfect Chameleon!