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China News Digest - US Regional Services (Bo Xiong) --------------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 03:27:00 GMT From: Ifcss Hq Subject: HQ NR #7055: IFCSS HQ's Open Letter to Officials of High Education and Leaders of Business and High Technology on Simpson Bill S 1394 Comments: To: pbs-l@ifcss.org, council-l@ifcss.org Comments: cc: china-nt@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU To: Multiple recipients of list CCNL Status: RO * * * N E W S R E L E A S E 7055 * * * _________ November 20, 1995 __________ [[[[[[ [[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[ [[[[[[[ [[[[[[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ ______ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[[[[[[ [[[ [[[[[ [[[[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[[[ [[[[[ ______ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ ____ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[[ [[[ [[[[ [[[ [[[[[[ [[[[[[ [[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[ &^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^ IFCSS Foundation, Inc. 733 15th Street, NW Suite 440 Washington, D.C. 20005 Tel: (202) 347-0017 Fax: (202) 347-0018 &=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&= IFCSS Headquarters' Open Letter to Officials of High Education and Leaders of Business and High Technology in the U.S.A. on Simpson's Bill S 1394 IFCSS Headquarters is releasing a draft of an open letter to officials of the high education and international educators, leaders of business and high technology throughout the United States. The recipients will include two to three hundred business leaders, one hundred state and federal gov- ernmental officials, two hundred university presidents and directors of international offices on campuses. IFCSS requests local CSSA leaders endorse the letter for further forwardings to university authorities, and enterprise president and CEOs. Please send your organization's name back to the Headquarters for the final preparation. Please feel free to forwa- rd it anywhere you believe it is whothwhile. By the way, the IFCSS is still in the stage of financial difficulty. The advertisements will not be able to be out if the donation drive is below the expectation. We en- courage a $20 donation from all concerned individuals as suggested before tax deductable). Please send your support to the Headquarters for all the actions including the expenses for distributing letters and paying labors. Your support is highly appreciated, thank you. * * * * * From: Headquarters of The Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars in the U.S.A. (IFCSS) To: Officials of High Education, Leaders of Business and High Technology, in the United States The research institutions and the high technology industries often have to look outside the United States to employ scientists, engineers and techni- cians with the cutting-edge knowledge, skills and experience essential to expansion. However, spreading anti-immigrant sentiment may limit freedom to retain these critical human resources. Moreover, the legislators in the Capitol Hill nowadays are unprecendentedly pushing forward the legisla- tions in Congress, which will drastically reform the employment- and skill -based immigration, and substantially change the current system which has been functional, as the core to maintain the high competitive strength, globally, of the U.S.A. throughout the fields of science, education, high technology and business, etc. The Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars in the USA (IFCSS) has learnt that, on November 3rd, Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming introduced the bill, S 1394, which harshly slashes legal and employment- based immigration. The provisions in this bill include: 1). Worldwide employment-based preference is reduced to 90,000 from current 140,000; 2). Labor Certificate (L.C.) becomes very difficult to obtain because employers must pay 25% fee (value of the annual compensation inclu- ding wages, benefits, and all other compensation) for each applica- tion; 3). H-1B worker must have 2 years experience outside the U.S. in their specialty occupation after obtaining the most recently received degree (it means everyone must leave the U.S. for 2 years before coming back for employment) 4). Maximal stay for Non-immigrant H-1B and L visas is reduced to 3 years (current 6 yrs for H-1B and 5/7 for L); 5). New fee is imposed on employers who want to employ H-1B applicant makeing employers very difficult to hire aliens. The fee would be 5% first year, 7.5% second year, and 10% last year of stay ( fee = annual compensation including wages, benefits and all other comp- ensation); 6). Additional attestations are required before approval of H-1B: a. Employers must pay H-1B workers at least 100% of the actual compensation or 105% of the prevailing wage level; b. no displacement of U.S. workers ( or must pay H-1B replacement workers 105% of the mean of the compensation paid the laid-off US worker); The bill will take effect on October 1, 1996, if it passes. Simpson Bill S 1394 has stimulated the vigorous responses in business, scientific and educational communities immediately. It has gone even much farther than H.R. 2202 regarding employment-based immigration. Almost all foreign students studying at graduate schools, researchers and professionals in institutions and enterprises will be heavily affected. The IFCSS protested this legislation and has called all Chinese students, scholars and professional nationwide to join the campaign to stop this bill, S 1349. Science, education and high technology businesses who rely on talented students, graduates and professionals born in foreign countries, to maintain a competitive edge have important interests in this legislation. The U.S. Congress must learn how important and crucial foreign human resources are to the business and ability of the U.S.A. to compete in the international sci-technology and economy, but not be complacent over its shortsightedness and lack in vision. The IFCSS hereby appeals to you, the concerned officials of science policy, high educational community, and leaders of business and enterp- rises to take the following steps to protect the interests: 1). Call and write the Members of Senate in Washington D.C. (202 224 3121) or at their District offices while they are at the Thanksgiving recess. The bill is scheduled to be considered at Senate Judiciary Sub- committee on November 29th. 2). Join with other officials of sciences, educators and business lead- ers in the coalition with those who share their concerns in order to pool resources and coordinate efforts to educate the persuade Congress. The IFCSS has been involved in several important coalitions on this and related legislations, and has intimate relationship with prestigious law firms in Washington D.C., using the resources of its experienced legis- lative and immigration law groups. 3). Contact the organizations with similar immigration concerns for fur- ther information, such as NAFSA : Association of International Educators (202 642 4811) and the national Chinese students and scholars' organiza- tion, the IFCSS (202 347 0017), who has common interest in preventing these arbitrary barriers to enrollment of foreign students and employ- ment of foreign researchers and professionals from being erected. Thanks for your attention.