US skilled work visa application down
April 10 2009 by Gareth McConnell
Unusually, the number of H-1B skilled work visa applications has dropped so far this year that officials claim the quota may not be filled until October.
Firms are usually beating down the doors of the US immigration offices
to submit their petitions to take on people who want to work in the US,
with technology firms particularly keen on foreign workers. However, US
Citizenship and Immigration Services claim that, after a week, they
have received applications to meet only around half the 65,000-visa
quota for the year.
There has also been a shortfall in applications for the 20,000 visas
put aside for foreign graduates from US universities, who graduate with
a minimum of a master’s degree.
Officials claim the slowdown is simply a symptom of the economic
climate, suggesting the number of US visas responds to demand. However,
others claim that a protectionist attitude to US jobs, ensuring jobs go
to US citizens before foreigner workers, may be adding to the fall in
applications.
Immigration advocates are likely to be concerned by the figures as many
claim that attracting foreign skilled workers is essential to the
economic welfare of the US and without them, it is unlikely to recover
from the recession as effectively.
There are also concerns that highly educated and skilled people who
have come to study in the US are simply returning home after their
studies instead of working in the US and contributing valuable
resources and taxes.
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