Immigration News and Updates

suzanne4, RN · May 1, 2007

Have been watching the newscasts since very early this am, and there has not been one mention of anything having to do with nurses. It is has been 100% illegal immigration and that is on all of the news shows. Both local news, national news, and international news.

suzanne4, RN · May 1, 2007

Also remember that immigration fees go up significantly on June 01. And this will be for everyone.

jonRNMD · May 1, 2007

They are basing it on the presumption that Pres. Bush will be signing a CIR Bill by August or earlier, like he said he would, and by the looks of the current news on what's happening there is some momentum leading into that time-frame so they have a basis for their educated guess.

Pres. Bush will definetely sign the CIR if and only IF Congress can get their acts together and pass a unified CIR bill.....

PERSONALLY, I dont think Congress can pass a unified CIR bill this year...My view is that we would all be waiting until 2009 for the CIR bill to become law....the only way to end the current retrogression is for a re-capture of unused visas just like what happened a few years ago.....

this is my personal view and i hope im wrong because i dont want to be stuck with an EAD for the next 2 years

lawrence01 · May 1, 2007

pres. bush will definetely sign the cir if and only if congress can get their acts together and pass a unified cir bill.....
personally, i dont think congress can pass a unified cir bill this year...my view is that we would all be waiting until 2009 for the cir bill to become law....the only way to end the current retrogression is for a re-capture of unused visas just like what happened a few years ago.....
this is my personal view and i hope im wrong because i dont want to be stuck with an ead for the next 2 years

there are already some signs that both the democrats and the republicans are willing to compromise some issues base on current news, w/c i've posted here as well but you are right; nothing really is certain w/ cir.

unfortunately, a separate immigration bill (on it's own) or provision to re-capture visas to solve the retrogression is not being entertain until the cir gets approved or gets junked. they will only entertain any separate immigration-related bill until they are certain that the cir will not push through this year. of course, if it pushes through, then no problem. no need for re-capture as the cir will contain a provision to solve retrogression. the house's version (strive act) has a provision for unlimited visas for rns and there will be a similar provision from the senate version (not sure if it's unlimited like the house or will be cap-limited because it is yet to be created) but there certainly will be one. the senate will be voting on it this may after the scheduled 2-week debates.

i say, the sooner the debates, the better. if it passes, it's good. if the cir gets junked; a recapture cap-limited bill will now be entertained. a recapture provision that was attached to a parent, non-immigration related bill was turned downed just before easter and the reason was they do not want immigration-related provisions that is not part of cir. they want to fix the immigration problems in one whole package w/ the cir or none at all. of course, if the cir gets junked separate stand-alone immigration bills will be introduced left and right, so that's not entirely true. president bush just wants a comprehensive immigration reform bill (the whole package) to be one of his presidential legacy before he steps down and he wants it bad. this is no secret. will congress give it to him? the current news seems to point that way as both parties has soften up on their stance regarding what to w/ illegals.

the cir contains so many provisions, including a provision for schedule a, in the house's version (strive act) and it is expected that the senate will have one as well because they have to match it, otherwise it won't be a comprehensive immigration reform bill but the hot issue that is being debated and what is dragging everything else is obviously on the issue on what to do w/ illegals. right now, base on what i've read so far, both parties are compromising on this issue (behind doors), w/c is no secret as well. everyone knows the proponents of both parties involved and the white house are meeting w/ each other and president bush was confident enough to say that he was "winning immigration overhaul support" as reported in bloomberg.

the cir is big, and the issue about what to do w/ illegals has over-shadowed almost everything that is included in the cir that there might be controversial immigration provisions that might not be apparent to the public today that will slip through once there will be a so-called "breakthrough" regarding what to do w/ illegals. everyone will be happy with this breakthrough that other provisions will have none to minimal debates on it. is this good or bad? no one knows.

just my two cents.

suzanne4, RN · May 1, 2007

The provisions about the Schedule A have not even been discussed even in the news on any channel at any point. Not sure if it will be in the CIR when it is signed, there is going to be much to get thru just dealing with the illegal immigration issues and to get that approved.

And right now, what Bush wants for the illegal immigrants and with them having to pay $10,000 and return to their country to get petitioned, at least their documents submitted it causing major issues right now. And with what is going on with the funding for Iraq, it is going to take alot of work on both sides. And he definitely does not have Congress or the House of Representatives on his side right now. He is even going to veto what both had passed as far as Iraq. Bush has his own agenda, not sure what it is, but no one likes it.

If asking me today from what I have seen, I doubt that the nurses will be on the CIR. More than likely, it will be something separate. There are too many different entities in the US against the open cap on nurses until 2012. The unions are very against this, and definitely will not accept any type of temporary worker programs. This has been an issue since the H1-B went away for nurses three years ago, and one of the reasons that it did. So do not see any type of temporary visa, nor do I want to see it ever come back as the nurse is literally owned by the agency or the facility, and I do not believe in slavery. And that is what it is in nursing with these temporary work visas, such as the H1-C that you keep hearing about in the Philippines. But it is very bad news, and much worse than the H1-B. There are nurses complaining of the seven to nine patients that sone states have for med-surg, but when the H1-C facilities come into play, you are speaking of 14-16 patients per nurse, and this is the number that you are legally responsible for in an acute care hosptial. And the fastest way to lose your license.

fruity · May 2, 2007

So if nurses wont be included in CIR what happens? does it mean no visas will be available for this summer? is there any slim chance that nurses will be discussed in line with immigration? PLease enlighten us......

lawrence01 · May 2, 2007

so if nurses wont be included in cir what happens? does it mean no visas will be available for this summer? is there any slim chance that nurses will be discussed in line with immigration? please enlighten us......

right now, no one knows that. it has yet to be created. only the house version has been created so far (strive act) and it contains a provision for nurses. you can read about it from this post.

the senate version hasn't been created yet and they will try to introduce one by the end of the month or early next month after the scheduled debates in the last 2 weeks of may.

after the senate introduces their version for this year, it has to be "mended" to the house version to make a single bill and that single bill (the cir) is what will be signed by president bush.

when the senate version is made available (if ever) we will post it here and see if it contains a provision for nurses and if it's the same as the house's strive act (unlimited visas for green card up to a certain year) or will it be cap-limited (fixed number of visas available year after year).

in my opinion, the question is it's not if there will be a provision for nurses in the cir. i think there will be one one way or another. it is a comprehensive immigration reform bill after all and it won't be comprehensive if something is left off. the real questions is: will the final bill contain an "unlimited" visa or will it be more conservative and be "cap-limited" for nurses but most importantly, does the final cir bill will even be passed by congress for pres. bush to sign.

suzanne4, RN · May 2, 2007

But again, at least with my thinking:

CIR means Comprehensive Immigration Reform. And that is for everyone, but is not specific for a certain job, and it should not be. Nurses are fast-tracked in ahead of everyone else, and that is why I think that it will be under something separate. The CIR is not job specific by any means. and if vsias are re-capped like before, it will not be included with this bill, which is focused towards illegal immigration and what to do about that.

You are still not reforming anything having to do with nurses, they have been given prefential treatment over the past few years. When others have not. That is why I do not think that it will be in this bill, but something separate. Nurses make up only one small area in terms of the immigration issues that are going on in the US right now. There are more than 2,000,000 people each and every year that get green cards and come to the US. Nurses are just a small part of that, that is why I seriously think that it will be under a separate bill. And really hope that it is. You do not need to be considered along with millions of illegal immigrants and that is what the focus of the CIR is.

Expect something to happen for nurses around the same time, but expect it to be separate. At least that is what my crystal ball is telling me. Even if they re-cap unused visas, that will not be in the CIR, at least it should not be. Or then you will get people going into nursing strictly with the idea of getting a green card, and then never working in that area. Not a good thing.

suzanne4, RN · May 2, 2007

Nurses coming from other countries are coming here with Bachelor's degrees, and are professionals. They should not be included with illegal immigrants. There is more going on with this CIR then we are actually aware of behind closed doors. USCIS has even laid off staff that do the processing of paperwork, they were contracted employees only. As well as laid off contracted staff that are at their offices in the US.

And they are expedited when there are visas available, that is why I seriously doubt that they will be included with the CIR. But will be in a separate bill specific for nurses. Same way that there is no Schedule A either.

bettyboop · May 2, 2007

I agree with suzanne our best option would be a separate bill away from the CIR bill, do know theres the Hutchinson bill as well. Lets keep praying for a resolution soon

suzanne4, RN · May 2, 2007

Exactly. CIR deals with unskilled laborers and illegal immigrants. That does not fit any of you. You want a separate bill for nurses.

Right now, there is actually nothing to be done for nurses, if you are following what it actually in most of the CIR. You already have an avenue available to you to obtain a green card, it is just that it is the same amount of time that it takes for everyone esle to obtain a green card to work in the US. The issue is that RNs get expedited, and this actually angers some. So much better to be separate and in a bill that is specific for RNs. There are those with other specialties that are upset that they do not get preferential treatment. And this even goes for physicians that have done residencies in the US, they are not expedited for the green card when they finish their training.

And you definitely do not want temporary worker status, there are many facilites in the US that will not take anyone without a green card, as they do not want employees that cannot remain definitely in the US.

detroix · May 3, 2007

if our section in the CIR gets junked, bridge legislation is on the way.