Obama says he will help unemployed engineer find job during video 'hangout'
Barack Obama promised to help an unemployed engineer find a job during an online video "hangout" to answer questions posted on YouTube and by text.
The president responded to some of more than 133,000 questions submitted ranging from a number about the economy to foreign aid, drone strikes and the case of a British man the US is attempting to extradite over alleged breach of copyright law. Five people were selected to ask their questions live and put "Obama in the hot seat" in the forum arranged by Google Plus.
Obama was pressed repeatedly on the economy including by Jennifer Weddel, a mother from Texas, who wanted to know why the government continues to issue work visas for foreigners when her husband, an engineer, can't find a job. He has been out of work for three years.
The president said visas were only issued to people with skills needed in the US.
full: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/obama-unemployed-engineer-video-hangout
video:
bluestateguy
(44,173 posts)But Obama obviously can't do this more than every once in a while.
MidwestTransplant
(8,015 posts)that he was scared to go to school because his neighborhood was so dangerous due to drug violence and he couldn't get there without fearing for his safety. The President had a federal law enforcement agency clear his neighborhood.
truthisfreedom
(23,148 posts)be taking advantage of them to keep costs down.
flexnor
(392 posts)and they'd give them to him for free
antigop
(12,778 posts)Hillary Clinton reaffirms support for more H-1B visas
antigop
(12,778 posts)Why is she asking the government for help?
Maybe she ought to consider whom she votes for.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/30/3699115/fort-worth-woman-talks-to-obama.html#my-headlines-default
antigop
(12,778 posts)crazylikafox
(2,758 posts)but then, I still believe in the tooth fairy too.
cyberpj
(10,794 posts)One job found due to public embarrassment does not a CHANGE make when it comes to these visas.
antigop
(12,778 posts)U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk had been scheduled to travel to New Delhi later this week to meet with Indian counterparts, including Commerce minister Anand Sharma, to discuss a range of bilateral issues. Among them was India's claim that rejection rates for applications by Indian IT professionals to work in the U.S. on H-1B or L-1 visas are rising.
cyberpj
(10,794 posts)12 Jan, 2012, 07.43PM IST, PTI
HYDERABAD: The US is in the process of making a law to increase India's share in the much sought after H-1B visas, an American Senator said here on Thursday.
According to a report, nearly half of H-1B visa holders in the US are Indians who are hired mostly in the IT industry. Between 2000 and 2009, 46.9 percent of the total approved H-1B visa holders had India as their country of birth.
"We are working on a legislation right now of increasing India's share in H1B visa," Senator Mark Warner, who is co-chairing Senate India Caucus, said.
India has been conveying its concern to the over increasing number of rejections of the H1B visa applications of professionals. Besides, America has also raised fee for these visas, the move which was strongly criticised by the Indian government.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/visa-and-immigration/us-making-law-to-increase-indias-share-in-h-1b-visa/articleshow/11464188.cms
antigop
(12,778 posts)The Senate India Caucus is a bipartisan group currently comprising forty members of the U.S. Senate. It was founded in 2004 by the then Senator from New York, and now Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Senator John Cornyn. At the time of its formation, it was the only country-specific Caucus in the Senate and today, is the largest Caucus of its kind in the Senate.
VIDEO:
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cyberpj
(10,794 posts)Not a lot of CLEAR info on the issue that I can see.
Bill to hasten green cards may soon get Senate hearing
The Bill would eliminate country-based caps in the green card system
Posted: Tue, Jan 10 2012. 11:42 PM ISTUS
New Delhi: AUS immigration Bill that would significantly reduce the wait time for Indian and Chinese green card applicants may soon be heard in the Senate, which reopens later this month. According to immigration analysts, it is the only immigration Bill that has any real chance of passing before American presidential elections later this year.
HR3012, or The Fairness for Highly-Skilled Immigrants Act, was passed by an unprecedented landslide vote of 389-15 in the House of Representatives on 29 November, and was fast tracked to be heard in the Senate. The Bill would eliminate country-based caps in the green card system, which would significantly reduce wait times for Indian and Chinese applicants, but could moderately increase the waiting period for other groups. The Bill was held in the senate by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who has said that he would only release his hold of the Bill if it includes a version of his proposed H-1B visa reforms. The hold could lead to a filibuster (unlimited open debate on the Bill), which can only be overridden by cloture60 Senate votes.
HR3012 is significant in that it is the first immigration Bill that has received such overwhelming bipartisan support among legislators in the recent years of attempts at immigration reform, according to Muzaffar Chishti, director of the Migration Policy Institute at NYU school of law. Chishti also says that it is the only Bill that has any real chance of passing before the presidential elections later this year. The big surprise of 2011 was that something on immigration, that has eluded any bipartisan support, has gained traction, Chishti said. There seems to be significant consensus on highly skilled immigrants that has remained unchanged despite the labour market outlook.
Under the current system, the federal government limits the annual number of employer-sponsored green cards to 140,000, of which no more than 7% is allocated to any one country (including family members of sponsored applicants). Critics of the current system argue that the cap discriminates against highly skilled workers from countries where green card demand is high, such as China and Indiawhich also represent a significant portion of green card applicants. A study published last October by the Washington-based National Foundation for American Policy found that Indian applicants for green cards from the EB2 category (highly skilled professionals with graduate degrees) faced waits of up to seven years, while Indians applying in the EB3 (skilled professionals with a college degree) could wait as much as 70 years due to the country caps.
more:
http://www.livemint.com/2012/01/10234222/US-Bill-to-hasten-green-cards.html
Response to cyberpj (Reply #12)
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