E-Paper
Indian Americans want immigration reform
IARC has joined a coalition of organisations calling on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reforms.
The Indian American Republican Council (IARC) has joined a coalition of organisations calling on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reforms.
"We are pleased to join the coalition today. Congress needs to take action on immigration reform," IARC chairman Raghavendra R Vijayanagar said.
"For H-1B visas, the cap of 65,000 visas was reached on the first day of the fiscal year. At the end of the 108th Congress, a bill was passed to exempt an additional 20,000 visas for workers receiving graduate degrees in the US. This is a good example of Congress passing a commonsense reform, to reward hard-working people whose talents are needed by the US workforce," he said.
Congress, he said, needs to increase the current cap of 66,000 H-2B seasonal visas. Those coming under these visas can stay in the US for up to ten months. They are needed in the restaurant and hospitality industries.
Many Indian Americans own and manage businesses in these industries and they need these workers to help during the busiest times of the year. However, this cap was reached on January 3, 2005. The cap has not changed since the programme was first created in 1991.
"We support current legislation pending in Congress that exempts returning workers from the annual cap, which will allow experienced, reliable workers to continue working for businesses across the nation," Vijayanagar said.
"We are fortunate to have great friends of the Indian American community serving in Congress, including House Majority leader Tom Delay, and we look forward to working with these leaders to make immigration reform a reality in the 109th Congress," he said.
