Immigration News and Updates

lawrence01 · May 17, 2007

This is to answer many questions relating to CIR.

"It is expected that the final CIR bill will include a 10 yr exemption for Schedule A occupations. That having been said we won't know exactly what it says until it is released. Keep in mind, that this is one step. Of course the current fragile compromise could break down; in that case the Senators will look for a Plan B.

If the Senate bipartisan working group on immigration strikes a deal, they then need to take it to the Senate at large and that body needs to pass the bill. This could happen by the month's end.

Then the House needs to get to work. They could: (a) seek to pass the Strive Act which was introduced 60 days ago; (b) simply take the Senate’s bill and work off of that; © introduce a new House CIR; or (d) do nothing. HLG’s hunch is that © is the likely scenario, but the House CIR will probably have a lot of (a) and (b) in it. The House could pass a bill in June or maybe early July.

Once the House passes a bill then a “conference” is formed. A conference is a committee of leading House members and Senators who are charged with reconciling disparate parts of the House and Senate bill. The Conference committee would likely take up most of July. If they completed their work in July we could have a new CIR by August (Congress breaks for the month of August). Otherwise, the conference would continue in September and we would likely have a new CIR law in September or October 2007. The Schedule A provisions would likely take immediate effect. The new CIR bill would also likely (but not certainly) provide a nonimmigrant visa option for RNs (but not PTs, OTs, and other occupations that currently have H-1B options)."

*Note that this is for information purposes only.

Source: http://www.hammondlawgroup.blogspot.com/

mpoova · May 17, 2007

S. RES. 192

P. S6077

Note the Sen. Res. on 14th May 2007 which projects nursing shortage to

12, 00,000 by 2014

you can read this on http://thomas.loc.gov/

new serach with above details.

XXXXXXXX

Whereas our Nation continues to face a nursing shortage unprecedented in its depth and duration, with a projected 1,200,000 new and replacement nurses needed by 2014;

Whereas the nationwide nursing shortage has caused dedicated nurses to work longer hours and care for more acutely ill patients;

XXXXX

One hopes that there will be good provisions for FT nurses in the CIR to be part of the solution for the estimated shortage as per SE. RES. 192 on 14th May 2007.

lawrence01 · May 17, 2007

immigration overhaul is closer to senate floor

proposal would offer route to legal status, shift preferences to skilled workers

by jonathan weisman

washington post staff writer

thursday, may 17, 2007

senate negotiators reached a tentative agreement yesterday on a broad overhaul of the nation's immigration laws that would offer virtually all of the nation's 12 million undocumented workers a route to legal status while shifting migration preferences away from the extended families of citizens toward more skilled and educated workers.

click here for full article.

ED-Adrenaline · May 17, 2007

I have read the Washington post article and I see NOTHING for helthcare porfessionals.

I think NOW the main issue is the Illegal immigrants and temporary worker's program and it will stay that way.

Nurses will have to wait for the final outcome and don't get overwhelmed by this article. :nono:

lawrence01 · May 17, 2007

I have read the Washington post article and I see NOTHING for helthcare porfessionals.
I think NOW the main issue is the Illegal immigrants and temporary worker's program and it will stay that way.
Nurses will have to wait for the final outcome and don't get overwhelmed by this article.

It has always been that issue. It is what has 'dragged' the CIR for so long.

There has been no 'debates' regarding nurses but there are provisions for nurses in CIR as I have been posting about for so long and there has always been provisions for nurses from any version of the CIR since last year (including the Senate's 2006 version of it). It has always been constant. It is the other sections of the CIR (what to do w/ illegals) that has not yet been agreed upon and what is being discussed but it is not my intention to discuss issues concerning what to do w/ illegals. It is just that provisions for nurses is part of CIR and the fate of CIR is dependent on the issue of what to do w/ illegals. The foreign nurses are concern if CIR will be passed this year and any news of it will always mention illegal immigration issues as that is the most impt. issue that will spell for the success or failure of CIR.

Congress will not debate each and every issue and every detail in the CIR. It is way TOO BIG and much time-consuming to do so. Impractical to do so as well. Much of the smaller details has been discussed closed door and it seems by the way things are going everything (including on what to do w/ illegals) will be discussed and agreed upon discussions behind doors. If they will agree on everything already behind doors, there would be no need for grand debates anymore.

All news regarding CIR posted here are for updates only on it's progress since a passed and signed CIR is tantamount to lifting of retrogression for nurses and even possibly an end to retrogression for foreign nurses every 2-3 years or so if the visa quota allocated has been exhausted. If the no visa-cap until 2017 provision in CIR for foreign nurses is included (and all versions of CIR has included it since last year) then there will be no more retrogression for foreign nurses until 2017. Employers will not anymore wait for too long for arrival of foreign nurses since immigration procedures will go on seamlessly w/o retrogression happening every time visa quotas has been reached.

Also, there are possible parts of CIR that foreign nurses may also be concern with, such as proposals that there might be no more venue for immigrants to petition their parents and siblings through family-based petitions and may include petitioning a spouse from their home country that was not originally included w/ him or her when he was petitioned by his employer.

ED-Adrenaline · May 17, 2007

in respond to lawrence01 post.

i totally agree about the cir progress importance for all who wish to immigrate in us.

what i don't believe is necessary is... in this blog to get news about some progress of cir that does not directly impose on nurse's immigration issue.

in my opinion, all "progress notes" for cir debates should be posted in other blogs such they have in "immigration voice".:yeahthat:

what matters here is news that nurses are waiting for "like desert the water".

and here we are, receiving a "daily dosage" of "painkiller". :uhoh3:

in my opinion, if we don't have news that are in relation to what nurse's worries are about, that we don't have to post " just anything " that does not affects the nurses lives, because ,correct me if i am wrong...but this is nurses site, right? :rolleyes:

(with all respect to all nurses who have immigrant relatives in us)

i agree that some of the issues debated, may be related to family members of our nurses and i agree to see those news (as i am concerned as well), but not here as they are available in "immigration voice" or any web news that on an off have been posted here as well.

what i also disagree is...that matters about nurses immigration is not something debating parties "agreed upon long time ago or last year" and certainly this issues will be discussed again.

those are the news that should be posted here and i will be happy to hear about it. :bow:

to cut the story short, i don't think that you should post news about immigration just because something has to be posted today to keep the blog running. :nono:

:twocents: my two cents about cir (as everybody gives already):

it was and is an issue that will or not be solved in the near future-lets be patient and talk about immigration news for nurses...does not matter if they will come from...cir of any other legislation....and what we can or cannot do about it.

and for the record...i have no intention to fight a word war at all.:cheers:

english_nurse · May 17, 2007

i didnt quite catch the whole item i just saw on fox news but i think there was a report about a bill on immigration being agreed today

I am looking at the website but i think it must have only just happened as nothing is on there yet

has anyone else seen it?

maybe its a small step forward?!?

english_nurse · May 17, 2007

got a link

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273192,00.html

not sure if it helps us or not though

letina · May 17, 2007

Just read your link Claire. It certainly looks like an agreement has been reached doesn't it? I haven't had the TV on but will go switch on now, see if there's anything on the news. From what Lawrence has been posting, my understanding is that there is provision for the nurses in this Bill. Fingers crossed for all of you waiting to hear some news.

lawrence01 · May 17, 2007

got a link
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273192,00.html
not sure if it helps us or not though

Yes, it does. It's the same news from Washington Post I just posted. They have tentatively reached an agreement already and looks like the voting set for Monday is a go since there is already an agreement. They postponed the Wednesday voting to give some more time for further negotiations just for this and it seems the extra time did wonders. Looks like the voting will finally commence on Monday.

Thanks for the update, english_nurse.

lawrence01 · May 17, 2007

everyone can refer to post #325 for things related to cir and provisions for nurses; what happens after voting and what are the possible scenarios that will happen afterwards.

thanks.

healthcpg · May 17, 2007

agreement reached on immigration reform

by julie hirschfeld davis, associated press writer 10 minutes ago

key senators in both parties announced agreement with the white house thursday on an immigration overhaul that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the u.s. and fortify the border.

copyright © 2007 the associated press. all rights reserved. the information contained in the ap news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of the associated press.

thread edited due to above statement being included with the post.