Tech-nical problems as Microsoft, Google log in

The top executives of these and other tech firms are making a huge effort to reshape the Senate immigration Bill to meet their demand for more foreign workers. But they have had only limited success. Several provisions of the Senate Bill, meant to enhance protections for US workers and to prevent visa fraud and abuse, are seen as clashing with the companies’ recruitment needs.

The Senate plans to resume work on the Bill this week. Much of the debate will focus on proposals for granting legal status to illegal immigrants. But the sections of the Bill affecting technology industries could prove to be very important as well.

In particular, technology firms want to hire more foreign-born scientists and engineers graduating from American varsities.

The Senate Bill would expand the number of work visas for skilled professionals, but technology companies said the proposed increase was not enough. High-tech companies were upset with the Bill that emerged last month from secret Senate negotiations.

E John Krumholtz, director of federal affairs at Microsoft, said the Bill was “worse than the status quo, and the status quo is a disaster.”

In the past two weeks, these firms have quietly negotiated for changes to meet some of their needs. But the Bill still falls far short of what they wanted, which suggests their political clout does not match their economic strength.

Stephen W Yale-Loehr, co-author of a treatise on immigration law, said: “High-tech companies are very organised. They have lobby groups. When Bill Gates advocates more

H-1B visas and green cards for tech workers, everyone listens. But that supposed influence has not translated into legislative results.”

Technology companies face a serious challenge, as lawmakers of both parties worry about possible abuses in the H-1B programme.

Immigration route

In 2003, President Bush called for an overhaul of the immigration laws, the first since the mid-80’s. His proposal focused on creating a guest worker programme that would allow immigrants to legally enter the country temporarily to fill jobs. The plan was overshadowed by the Iraq war.

By December 2005, the mood had shifted. The Republican-controlled House passed a bill that rejected Bush’s plan, and instead called for the deportation of all illegal immigrants.

Church groups and immigrant organisations reacted angrily. A group of senators proposed a bill that would create a guest worker programme and give many illegal immigrants a path toward citizenship. Bush gave his support, but conservative Republicans denounced it as an “amnesty” plan.

In 2007, members of the Senate, now controlled by Democrats, discussed a plan that would focus on national security concerns, before moving to elements addressing guest workers and creating a route for illegal immigrants to gain legal status.