Immigration debate heats up, yet mostly ignored by Candidates
Just over a week ago, many foreign professional and laborers needing a work visa ran out of time. Depending on what side of the immigration reform debate you stand on, it is either the worst or best news for America's unpredictable job market. Due to numerous post-9/11 restrictions on the nation's H-1B and H-2B visa program, many employers and supporters of the programs believe America will not be able to find enough workers to fill thousands of jobs. Under the H-1B program, which affects hi-tech workers with at least a bachelor's degree or the equivalent, Congress set a cap of 65,000 such visas per fiscal year limit. For the blue collar-oriented H-2B program, there is an annual limit of 66,000 visas issued. Both programs are so popular that by the time the deadline for the visas had passed on Oct. 1, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services already had received enough applications to count toward the caps.