From: utzoo!decvax!ittvax!bunker!abhay
Newsgroups: net.politics
Title: immigration reform bill
Article-I.D.: bunker.195
Posted: Wed Jan 12 15:16:53 1983
Received: Fri Jan 14 20:22:33 1983

There was a an immigration reform bill before the last congress.
It was passed by senate with 80+ votes in favor, but the bill
died in the house of representatives due to intense lobbying by the
labor and the minorities. One aspect of the bill of special interest
was the requirement that all foreign students return to their countries
for at least two years before being eligible to apply for permanent
residency to US. At the present time over 90% of foreign engineering 
students (specially from taiwan phillipines india & other asian countries)
end up staying in US permanently. This provision was vehemently opposed
by industry group citing shortage of engineers and they did succeed in
watering down the provision to exempt engineering students. I wonder
if many of engineers are aware of it what is their opinion on this
issue as to if the shortage is real, are foreign engineers depressing
salaries by aggreeing to work for less so that they can get immigration
and is this a good provision. Opinion of alien engineers will definitely
be biased therefore please indicate so.