Although a final vote is around a fortnight away, Congress looks set to allow approximately 12 million illegal immigrants to live and work in the USA legally.
The hotly-debated shake-up of the States’ criticised immigration system is guaranteed to welcome a larger quota of educated foreigners to work in the USA. President George Bush confirmed as much in his recent address to the nation.
But how these additional roles will be administered remains a topic of intense debate.
Senators agreed in the early stages of discussions to increase the number of H1B visas issued to applicants with top degrees secured at American colleges. An extra 50,000 H1B permits are expected to be distributed next year.
The latest reports from Congress, however, suggest that the vast volume of illegal immigrants already in the country will be allowed to stay, as a new Green Card system is introduced.
This is unlikely to impact on the proposed quota for highly-educated candidates hoping to work in the USA – commerce secretary Carlos Guttierrez has already stressed the importance such entrants have on the economy.
Special dispensation will still apply for applicants hoping to secure work in the USA non-profit sector, or those taking up a research position at an American college.
Contributed by J.Bevan
