snowbunny

I've given this my best thunk and come up with squat because:

* do we REALLY have jobs that Americans won't do? I mean, if we paid fruit pickers $40.00/hr would there be no Americans willing? C'mon, what we really mean is "no Americans willing to work for sh*t wages."

* we favour those who are willing to provide their own thousands-of-miles-long transpo over those who cannot -- there are plenty of poor people around the world who'd love to pick fruit at sh*t wages. If we're being fair, shouldn't the guest worker program be open to all nationalities if they have to apply from "home"?

* could we, for once, have non-corporate interests (eg non-profits) sponsor worthy immigrants who would add diversity, intelligence, compassion, and spice to the American masses? People that'd be great to have at a dinner party would suit me just fine.

* do we really have a shortage of science and math types, and if so why? could it possibly be paying teachers shite wages and charging exorbitant uni fees when many countries that export scientists and engineers PAY for those students to go to uni?

* is anyone winning here except megacorporations and those who dine nearly exclusively on fruit and veg?

Elvira

Okay, I have not given this as much thought as you have, but may I just make a couple of points?

How many people in the US could afford the frujit picked by workers earning $40 an hour?

Immigration of scientists and uni profs is a two-way street. Some come here - others go there. Without intellectual exchange, academia would be a lot less vibrant than it is.

snowbunny

How many people can afford anything where the wages aren't artificially depressed by paying substandard wages? Is having cheap fruit worth exploitation of workers? Please remember Cesar Chavez wasn't so hot on the exploitation of fruit pickers, either.

Yes, we do need exchange of scientists and professors, but could we level the playing field and not discourage potential American students by charging them far, far more than students in other countries pay, or GET PAID to attend uni?

All that current immigration policy is about is paying cheaper wages, NOT bettering this country in any way. If life is about $3/bunch grapes alone, fine. But if it's about attracting a diverse group of creative, hardworking, intelligent people, our current system dissuades that.

TouristTrap

In the land of the almighty dollar? Never, won't happen.

The reason that the standards to get into college here are so low compared to most first world countries, is due to the fact that they want as many bodies as possible paying outrageous fees for the priviilige, so they lower the bar accordingly.

Plus, I don't know of any really smart who wants to attend college, not being able to do so.

Unfortunately, you're spot on, on the latter. Personally know a few folk who've torn up their applications in frustration. People who would have made a great contribution.

As to the first, it would work alright. If they brought in a flat tax rate of 10% like it used to be in the pre-immigration woe days, decades ago. Then we could all afford the $40/hr grapes.

neill

Shelve the H1-B program and introduce a catch-all 6-month guest-worker visa that can be extended (by employer) and with the possibility of adjustment after 3-5 years.

(Running for cover now!)

BigDavyG

U-S-A
U-S-A
U-S-A
U-S-A

Elvira

You think professors of extraordinary ability and the like will go for that one??

It's ridiculous that people like my DH who have tenure have to start off on 'temporary' visas...

snowbunny

Put them into the same category as performers of extraordinary ability. If you are known in your field internationally eg through publication/conferences/textbooks, you ought to qualify.

Bob

Needs to be more transparant...problem is, people apply for visa's without really knowing the shortfall of them, look at the drawbacks of the E2 visa, or H1B's...and the time limits you have on them or what you can do on them...but then again, you don't always have a choice and lawyers don't always know what is best, plenty do, but it doesn't help that it's so hard to correct anything once started...and errr...fee's, needs to be a lot simpler, you pay straight off the bat and it should include everything, not have extra's all the way through and have things duplicated, what's this with fingerprints expiring, or having background checks repeated when you go for K1 and then AOS etc, etc...

Elvira

There is this provision already - professor of extraordinary ability.The crazy thing is that this doesn't actually help - it speeds up the process because there is no need for labor certification, but my husband still had to start off on an H1b...

snowbunny

Too bad he doesn't have a record label with $$$$$ to get a P-visa.

it's all about the money.

Ray

First thoughts

Anybody employing illegals minumum 10 years hard labour ...
Anybody working legally in the US auto green card after 5 years
and auto citizenship after 10 years
All foreign worker have to be paid 10% more than Americans
Number of visa issued to match requirements..
For marriage cases... auto green card at 2 years if still married

All students have to leave for a minimum of 2 years after
course completion..

snowbunny

I might not agree on every point but yours is a lot more palatable than any of the shite in Washington.

Ray for .... congressman? (ya can't be president. )

BigDavyG

Good idea - just like drug dealers face stiffer sentances than users.
If there was no-one willing to employ illegals then no-one would be that interested in coming here in the first place.

anotherlimey

I can't see anyone deciding exactly what they want a new immigration policy to do?

Once they find out what the aim is, they can then start deciding on what laws to implement.