Immigration bill to hit global competitiveness of US Cos:USIBC

The landmark immigration reforms bill, which has been passed by the US Senate, would have an adverse impact on the global competitiveness of US companies and badly hit Indian IT companies, a top American business advocacy organization has said.

These concerns arise mainly because the bill retains several killer provisions, particularly those related to the H-1B visas, which allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations.

"The Bill unfairly targets American companies trying to remain globally competitive by reducing their ability to contract with global IT service providers and restricting their access to the international expertise they need," USIBC president Ron Somers told PTI.

"Such restrictions could stifle US innovation, slow local job creation and force companies to move jobs overseas," Somers warned after the Senate passed the bill, which was hailed by President Barack Obama as bringing one closer to fixing the broken immigration system.

Early this month, USIBC had announced the establishment of the Coalition for Jobs & Growth to help ensure that American businesses of all types have access to the international expertise they need to continue to drive forward economic growth and job creation.

It hired the services of major law firm Patton Boggs for lobbying at the scale of the US-India civil nuclear advocacy effort, augmented by a public relations campaign spearheaded by APCO Worldwide.

"The USIBC Coalition prefers H R 2131, the SKILLS Visa Act, that was passed out of committee in the House today, which does not follow the problematic approach of the Senate Bill, which will hamper American companies' competitiveness," said Somers.

Early this month, USIBC announced the establishment of the Coalition for Jobs & Growth to help ensure that American businesses of all types have access to the international expertise they need to continue to drive forward economic growth and job creation.

Specifically, the the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S 744) imposes new and onerous restrictions and higher fees on H-1B and L1 visa programs on the international IT services sector and would create an uneven playing field that will harm US clients, including the majority of Fortune 500 companies.

Members of the Coalition for Jobs and Growth (CJG) are now working with the Obama Administration and Congress to eliminate narrow protectionist provisions in the current legislation that will hamper economic growth and impede American competitiveness by creating unnecessary bureaucracy.