US plans 'guest workers' visa

A fresh legislation proposing a new 'guest workers' visa category that would allow foreign professionals, including Indians, to take up temporary jobs in the US, which cannot be filled from within the country, has been introduced in the Senate.

Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn introduced the bill entitled the 'Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2003'. The legislation is similar, but much more expansive than the H-2B temporary worker category.

The visa proposal is part of a comprehensive bill that aims to tighten American immigration system.

Apart from the visa issue, it also includes provisions to strengthen the US visit entry-exit system to identify those who enter the US illegally and those who fail to depart on expiry of their status.

"This bill strengthens enforcement and comprehensively reforms our immigration system. We need stronger enforcement and reasonable reform of our immigration laws," Cornyn, who is incidentally one of the chairs of the India Caucus in the US Congress, said while introducing the bill.

The bill has now been referred to the committee on the judiciary. It would only be available to nationals of countries that sign on to participate in the guest worker programme and which satisfy certain conditions of standards of eligibility.

A foreigner would be admitted under a new 'W' non-immigrant visa category for two years and on completion he would have to leave the US and remain in his home country for a continuous period of one year.

The total period of admission for a 'W' non-immigrant would not exceed six years.