AILA Model H-1B Letter to Members of Congress

[company letterhead]

[date]

The Honorable __________
United States Congress
Washington, DC ______

Dear [Senator/Representative] ________:

I am writing to you on behalf of [xx company] regarding a crisis that is negatively impacting our company's ability to stay at the cutting edge. There is a current H-1B visa "blackout" crisis that is detrimentally affecting American businesses. The H-1B visa is a vital tool necessary to keep the U.S. economy competitive in the world market and to keep jobs in America. We are also experiencing serious delays in obtaining employment-based green cards for needed workers.

[Add info here about your company; add any specific examples of problems caused by the H-1B cap or EB green card delays].

As you may be aware, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced that the numerical cap limiting the H-1B program for temporary professional workers was reached on April 2, 2007, six months before the start of fiscal year (FY) 2008. As the situation now stands, companies seeking access to the best and brightest global talent must now wait until April 1, 2008 to begin the application process for hiring an H-1B, highly-skilled worker for FY 2009, which does not start until October 1, 2008. It is untenable for American businesses to be cut-off from this talent pool until late next year.

Far from harming U.S. workers and the U.S. economy, highly educated foreign professionals benefit our country by allowing U.S. employers to develop new products, undertake groundbreaking research, implement new projects, expand operations, create additional new jobs, and compete in the global marketplace. [Add any examples of how H-1B or EB green card workers have helped your company] Every day that passes without access to these highly-skilled workers is a lost opportunity for growth, productivity, and innovation. If U.S. companies do not have the ability to hire the best and brightest from around the world, our international competitors will continue to hire away these talented workers, causing our nation's competitive advantage to suffer.

We urge you to pass a meaningful reform measure that addresses the H-1B crisis and employment-based green card backlog immediately.

If you need any additional information or would like to meet regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me at [phone or email contact]. Thank you for your attention in this urgent matter.

Sincerely,