President Bush Supports Increase in H1B Numbers Posted Feb 10, 2006 ©MurthyDotCom President George W. Bush has strongly requested that Congress increase in the H1B quota. As regular MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers are aware, the H1B quota reduction to 65,000 has been a significant source of difficulties since Fiscal Year (FY) 2004. In a January 26, 2006 speech, President Bush addressed this problem by asking Congress to "be realistic and reasonable and raise that cap." The President was not specific in suggesting a number that would be an appropriate level for a new H1B quota. ©MurthyDotCom More H1Bs Needed to Remain Competitive ©MurthyDotCom The President focused on the country's need to remain competitive in the global economy, if it is to continue as a world leader. He stressed the importance of our offering encouragement to bright individuals needed to fill jobs that U.S. employers are having trouble filling. He recognized that, without enough qualified workers to fill these needs, the jobs will go elsewhere. ©MurthyDotCom File H1Bs Early for Oct 1, 2006 Start Date ©MurthyDotCom While we at the Murthy Law Firm are pleased the President has come out in support of the much-needed increase in the H1B cap, we advise MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers not to expect any change will occur in the coming fiscal year. This is simply a statement of support from the President of the United States that in no way changes the current H1B quota. In order to institute an actual change, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate would have to pass a bill to increase the H1B numbers that the President then would need to sign into law. This is a good opportunity, therefore, to ask your U.S. employers, and other groups with a vested interest in the competitiveness of the U.S. in a global economy, to voice their support of the President's comments. They can do so by contacting their representatives and senators, to solicit an increase in the H1B quota. [Refer to our MurthyDotCom article, Contacting Congress, for information.] ©MurthyDotCom Absent an increase in the immediate future, employers and individuals in need of cap-subject H1Bs should still try to file on or as soon after April 1, 2006 as possible. The next H1B cap numbers become available on October 1, 2006, which is the first day of the next fiscal year. Cases requesting those numbers can be filed up to six months in advance, on April 1, 2006. This applies to both the regular 65,000 cap for H1Bs and the 20,000 U.S. advanced degree cap exemptions. Copyright © 2006, MURTHY LAW FIRM. All Rights Reserved
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