The New York Times has a lengthy article outlining the prospects for a 2007 immigration bill. While it doesn’t mention a specific provision targeted at nurse and PTs, HLG has spoken with Washington DC people “in the know” who assure us that Schedule A relief is on the agenda.
If we don’t get a chance to say it personally…HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE ….we’re confident that retrogression relief has a much better chance of happening in 07 than in 06.
While news out of Washington DC is slow right now (as is always the case at year’s end), HLG is hearing that there is already a movement afoot to push Congress to get a small recapture bill passed within the first 10 weeks or so of 2007. Over the course of the spring Congress will debate a wide-ranging CIR-type bill, which healthcare immigration advocates hope will include a complete Schedule A exemption from the Green Card quota.
A time line might look like this:
Feb-March 2007: small allotment for Schedule A workers, perhaps 10-25,000 visas. Whether dependents are included is undecided at this point, but our hunch is they will be treated as they are now — i.e. part of the quota.
Summer 2007: wide-ranging CIR is passed which includes an exemption for all Schedule A applicants.
The 109th Congressional session has concluded without enacting legislation to increase H-1B or employment-based immigrant visas. Successful immigration related legislation included:
Efforts by Senators Cornyn and Hutchinson to increase H-1B visas and immigrant visas for nurses (respectively) were unsuccessful. Accordingly, U.S. employers will remain unable to obtain new H-1B workers until October 2007. Additionally, foreign nationals in the green card process will continue to face lengthy delays in obtaining immigrant visas. Most notably, U.S. hospitals and other healthcare facilities recruiting foreign Registered Nurses and Physical Therapists remain temporarily unable to obtain immigrant visas unless or until Congress authorizes additional immigrant visas for Schedule A workers or eliminates Schedule A workers from the visa quota. Advocacy efforts continue.
In the waning hours of this year’s Congress, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas has launched an effort to pass the SKIL Bill, says the Houston Chronicle.
It’s looking unlikely that Congress will allow any omnibus funding bills to pass with earmarks for things like retrogression relief. (The “Do-Nothing Congress,” as some of you readers/commentors have correctly called them). That having been said, there is still a chance that the GOP leaders change their mind and allow an omnibus bill with earmarks.
Nevertheless, we’re putting the chances of retrogression relief during December — the lame duck session — at less than 20% and decreasing every day. We’re still putting the chances of retrogression relief at 90% by Summer 2007.
One interesting news item: the USCIS won’t be hurting for dollars in 2007; prices are going up.