Obama signs 9/11 health bill, sticks India with paying for it

Tuesday, Jan 4, 2011, 0:40 IST

US president Barack Obama signed into law a bill on Sunday giving federal health benefits to first responders to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, staying unmoved by India’s complaints about a steep hike in skilled-worker visa fees which will partially fund the $4.3 billion aid bill.

Commerce minister Anand Sharma slammed the bill as “retrograde” after it passed Congress at the close of the session on December 22. India is now mulling steps to take its complaint to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as the bill will be funded by a 2% levy on goods and services sourced from contractors in countries like India, China and Thailand which are outside the purview of WTO’s Agreement on Government Procurement. The bill will also be funded by the continuation of a fee hike on work visas from 2014 to 2021.

In August last year, Congress dramatically hiked fees for work visas to help pay for a $650 million effort to increase security along the US-Mexico border. As a result, the fees for H-1B visas shot up from $320 to $2,320, while it increased by $ 2,250 for L-1 visas. This increase will now stay until 2021 to help cover the cost of the 9/11 responders health care bill.

India’s IT industry which relies on work visas for bringing in engineers for US projects contends the hikes will cost $200 million a year.

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_obama-signs-9-11-health-bill-sticks-india-with-paying-for-it_1490018

if they don't want to pay the higher fees, stay home. I know that it's the companies that usually pay the fees, but, I'm in favor of anything that discourages the loss of jobs for Americans.

:sarcasm:

that title is ridiculous

having a couple of years ago looked into getting an H-1B for an Indian chef to come over - I was primarily advised that one had to go through a private service as an intermediary, if one of the limited number of visas was to be acquired. The fee was $3,000 to $5,000. I'm sure big corporations have their own inside track, but I was told several times nobody does the paperwork themselves, pays a $320 fee, and gets an H-1B.

$2,320 isn't too much, if only the system didn't stink of corruption and cronyism already.

We have plenty of people here in the U.S. who are ready, willing and able to fill those positions.

Really? On DU? Talk about a anti-immigrant, national vs worldy, perspective that one expects from a right winger.

what is it about 20% unemployment in America you don't fucking get?

Do some reading...

U.S.: H-1B workers outnumber unemployed techies

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9133529/U.S._H_1B_workers_outnumber_unemployed_techies

It's usually those "right wingers" that love that cheap labor.

to hire skilled foreign workers only if there are not sufficient American workers -- including recent immigrants -- with the skills to do the jobs.

And the ones with crystal balls. Pretty amazing, really.

:sarcasm:

What I also find completely SAD & one huge reason I no longer respect the idea these folks are simply constructively criticizing our President...The only news you see these people "PILE ON" & rec to the greatest page are news of "DOOM & GLOOM" & anything they can manage somehow to criticize Obama on. These people are not here to criticize the bad & promote the good they are here to simply criticize Obama & drag him down so they can either say "I told you so" and/or see to it a Republican is our next President. SAD!