HR Professionals Praise The American Competitiveness Act of 2000

Compiled ByEric J. Merfalen The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), took a public stand in favor of the Senate legislation S 2045, the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000. The legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to H-1B nonimmigrant aliens. SHRM's support stems from its concern for the lack of job placement among qualified foreigners due to the lack of available work visas. The newly passed Senate legislation will:

Increase the number of visa allotments from 115,000 to 195,000.

Grant special extensions to those attending or doing research for institutions of higher learning.

Place limitations on each country's individual ceiling on employment based immigrants.

Enable H-1B workers to start employment at a new employer upon filing their H-1B petition. "Employers are scrambling to hire skilled workers in virtually every field," explains Susan R. Meisinger, executive vice president and COO of SHRM. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 3.67 million jobs have been created in the U.S., with over 1 million of those falling into the technology field alone. The effects this bill will have on the economy will reach both the industry market and each individual employee.