H-1B reform bill to seeker stricter enforcement of visa program

At last there seems to be a recognition on the part of some politicians that the H-1B program as it is now administered is unfair. Unfair because it allows the largest American companies to hire foreign guest workers at lower wages than American workers. See our sister publication, ComputerWorld's story, Senate H-1B bill seeks to give U.S. workers a better shot at tech job openings. The U.S. has a very strong en

At last there seems to be a recognition on the part of some politicians that the H-1B program as it is now administered is unfair.

Unfair because it allows the largest American companies to hire foreign guest workers at lower wages than American workers.

See our sister publication, ComputerWorld's story, Senate H-1B bill seeks to give U.S. workers a better shot at tech job openings.

The U.S. has a very strong enforcement policy against what is called, "dumping," selling products in the U.S. below cost in order to capture a market. Just this week it was announced that we are imposing a 10 percent tariff on some Chinese goods for this very reason.

But up until now most politicians have looked the other way when employers bring in workers and pay them lower wages.

The bill is called the "H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007" and it is sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin [D-Ill.] and Chuck Grassley [R-Iowa].

That sleepy little union, AFL-CIO, which has been quiet for the last 20 years or so is actually endorsing the bill and put the news up on its Web site.

In a nutshell the bill requests the Labor Department to hire "200 additional employees to administer, oversee, investigate and enforce the H-1B program."

It also proposes random audits of employers that use H-1Bs and requires companies to advertise job openings for 30 days on the Department of Labor's Web site before submitting an H-1B application.

The bill is still in committee and no date has been set for its release.