Fees From Foreigners To Help Train U.S. Workers

Compiled byMichael A. Verespej While Congress debates whether to grant more work visas to foreigners to help address the shortage of skilled workers (mostly high-tech) in the U.S., fees from those workers will help train about 5,000 U.S. citizens in careers such as telecommunications, computer programming, digital media, and computer animation. The Dept. of Labor (DOL) recently announced that monies from the annual $83 million in fees ($500 per worker) will be used to train workers in nine states for high-tech careers. It's the second of three rounds of grants the DOL expects to make. The current number of H1-B temporary work visas is capped at 115,000, but will be reduced to 65,000 after next year unless Congress takes action. Legislators also are debating whether to increase the fee for the visas.