Bloomberg, 05/26/2013 –

“New work-permit fees proposed in the Senate’s immigration bill mean companies … that depend on employees from overseas would foot the bill for stepped-up border-­control measures.
 

SHRM, 05/28/2013 –

“Republican House members introduced legislation that would boost the number of H-1B visas and green cards for high-skilled foreign workers and graduates of U.S. universities in scientific and technical fields.

“The Supplying Knowledge Based Immigrants and Lifting Levels of STEM Visas Act (SKILLS Visa Act) was introduced…by Reps. Bob Goodlatte…and Darrell Issa…

“…‘The SKILLS Visa Act moves us in the right direction, and we look forward to working with policymakers on the bill in the coming weeks and months,’ said ACIP Executive Director Lynn Shotwell. The strategic affiliates specifically praised the inclusion of a Trusted Employer program…‘With over 11 million people expected to be legalized, millions more who will be eligible for new visa classifications, and significant new enforcement requirements placed on the agencies, the government is going to have to work smarter and more efficiently if it wants to avoid a backlog of paperwork and processing that could cripple the system,’ said Shotwell.

Baltimore Sun, 05/06/2013 –

“Employers in Maryland and across the United States face a deadline Wednesday that some may not know exists but that could prove costly if ignored.

“That's when all employers will be required to use an updated version of the federal I-9 form to prove the eligibility of new workers.

“The form appears to be short and simple…But immigration and business experts say it's more complex than it looks.

“…‘It's a matter of making sure everything is entered correctly,’ said Justin Storch, manager of agency liaison for the American Council on International Personnel, a trade group for engineering and technology companies with at least one international office. ‘One little slip-up here and there can open employers up to liability. It's important for all employers to know this new form is out there, but there's a good chance there are a lot employers out there who don't know it's been released.’

SHRM, 05/06/2013 –

“The recently unveiled comprehensive immigration reform package—the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744)—scheduled for committee markup May 9, 2013, proposes significant changes to the employment-based preference system.

“…‘This is the best part of the bill,’ Rebecca Peters, legislative affairs director at the American Council on International Personnel (ACIP), told SHRM Online. ‘The green card provisions are great for employers—they look to provide enough employment-based green cards not only for high-skilled employment-based future flows but also by way of clearing the employment-based second and third preference green card backlogs in seven years.’

No link available.

CQ News, 05/01/2013 –

“The high-skilled-worker provisions in the Senate’s comprehensive immigration bill have achieved the dubious distinction of leaving both sides of the debate wanting more.

“…Rebecca Peters, legislative affairs director for the American Council on International Personnel, said her group is 'working with policymakers to ensure that some of the new additional requirements that would be imposed on employers who have less than 15 percent of their workforce on H-1B visas will not make the system so arduous as to render it unusable.'

Bloomberg BNA, 04/22/2013 –

“A comprehensive immigration bill introduced April 17 by the Senate's ‘gang of eight’ would make sweeping changes to employment-based visas and temporary foreign worker programs, require all U.S. employers to use E-Verify, and allow most undocumented immigrants currently in the country to apply for legal status and ultimately citizenship.

“...‘The current U.S. immigration system is holding America back from greater growth and innovation. We need a system that is efficient and embodies the needs of U.S. employers and the American workforce, allowing employers to access and retain critical talent, and we stand ready to work with all policymakers to ensure that it does,’ American Council on International Personnel Executive Director Lynn Shotwell said in a statement April 17.”

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 04/08/2013 –

“For the first time since 2008, a computer-generated lottery process was used to decide which H-1B visa cases get a green light.

“…‘The cap being hit so quickly could mean good things for economic recovery, but, at the same time, it means many employers will not be able to hire the employees they need to keep innovating and growing their organizations and keep the recovery going,’ said Justin Storch, manager of agency liaison at the American Council on International Personnel, a strategic partner of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Reproduced with permission from Daily Labor Report, 49 DLR B-4 (Mar. 13, 2013). Copyright 2013 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) <http://www.bna.com>

“Ongoing Immigration Obstacles Hinder Efforts To Bridge Employee Skills Gap, Speakers Say”

By Rhonda Smith

Addressing the employee skills gap will require employers and human resources professionals to reach out more to community colleges, and also to get involved more in federal immigration overhaul negotiations, leaders of the Society for Human Resource Management and the American Council on International Personnel said March 11.

“The skills gap is a real issue,” Henry “Hank” Jackson, SHRM's president and chief executive officer, told HR leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., for the organization's 2013 Employment Law and Legislative Conference.

“A survey of our members showed that 3.5 million to 4 million jobs are open in the United States now, and we cannot find the appropriate individuals to fill them.”

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