STRIVE ACT COMING THIS WEEK? 03/21/07
At least one newspaper, the LA Times, is reporting that the House will introduce their Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill. HLG understands that it will be called, Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007 (STRIVE ACT).
The bill is co-sponsored by Jeff Flake (R-Az) (who also introduced last year’s SKIL Bill) and Luis Gutierrez (D-IL). The Strive Act was apparently the work of these two in concert with the Senate leadership’s CIR bill, which may follow shortly thereafter. It is expected (although we have not confirmed it) that the Schedule A exemption should be part of the Strive Act. (It was part of Rep. Flake’s SKIL Bill and the Senate’s CIR).
In other news we are still pushing for an amendment for a quicker bill that would exempt Schedule A occupations from the immigrant visa quota. There is no news on this front. Everyone in DC is keeping their strategy quiet. Whenever we get additional information we will promptly post.
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20 Responses to this article
those immigration reform bills, CIR and this STRIVE act will not likely to pass in short time. Those bills will incur dramatic debate. Let’s work hard on a recapture amendement.
Dear HLG, thank you again for the update.
in the LAtimes article it says: They have also crafted a more general program that would admit up to 400,000 low-skilled workers a year for jobs that employers were unable to fill with Americans. The Department of Homeland Security would have to certify that it could accurately verify those workers’ documents before the program could begin.
These “new workers,” as Gutierrez calls them, would be guaranteed the same wages and working conditions as Americans, and could change jobs. The visas would be good for three years, and renewable for another three years. After that, according to Angela Kelley of the National Immigration Forum, workers would be eligible to apply for permanent residency through an employer petition or, after five years, by petitioning on their own.
Can we understand from it that the bill will offer work visa as HR 1358, and not green card?
Thanks
Hopefully the recapture bill which will be attached to this big bills that would probably take an eon before it is made into a law would just find its way to be passed as a band aid measure to end the struggle of both the nurses who are applying and the US nurses who are overworked due to the high patient to nurse ratio.
see the link below for STRIVE ACT updates! Let’s pray harder this time guys! Thy will be done! Keep our faith high and fingers crossed all the time. God bless to all of us.
http://www.competeamerica.org/news/alliance_pr/20070322_strive.html
Boston Globe is reporting that McCain-Kennedy CIR is kind of falling apart .
I hope this new bill which ineed got introduced today keeps us going.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/03/22/kennedy_mccain_partnership_falters/
I will eagerly wait to see if schedule-A is a part of this new bill. I am sure HLG will post about that.
hey guys,
just read about the provisions included in the STRIVE Act and one of which is increasing EB green cards and exempting medical professions in the EB quota.this sounds like the one we have been waiting for.prayers do wonders.check the web on “compete america”.please post any info you get.
HLG, you have been a great source of hope to so many.thank you for all you have done and still needs to do.
The letter I made was already posted to washington post.will see what it does.everybody keep your spirit high,we are getting there.
ICU nurse in DC
HLG,
Ur blog is very informative. Thanks for the constant updates. Let keep our fingers cross this time!
The STRIVE bill is introduced in the house on 22nd of march. Is it going to help the Schedule A category? If the bill pass, how long we need to wait to start the immigration process? Please update. Thanks for your support and drive.
Regards
Biju Thomas
Well it’s a good thing that they finally introduced an immigration reform bill in the 110th Congress. Hope it will be rolling smoothly and very fast to the president’s table for approval.
However, passing a bill to become a law would take a lot of time. It will usually go through a series of presentation, debates, introduction, conferences between the two sides of the the congress untill it will be enacted into law. In other words, there will be a long step-by-step process for it to become a public law.
That is why, we must still pushed this recapturing of unused visa for schedule A for an immediate solution to our problem.
I’ll be very glad to hear that this STRIVE act will be implemented as soon as it will be approved! But, it would be more pleasing to us nurses and PT’s to have some sort of immediate visa relief for the coming weeks. I am praying that the healthcare lobbyist and HLG will continue pushing this recapturing outside of an “immigration reform” bill.
This immigration reform bill is for a long term,wider genre’ solution and the visa recapturing is for the immediate and short term solution in our present situation. So let’s hope a recapturing will come into effect this coming easter.
Hello everybody.
I have just checked the whole 700 page summary of the strive act through immigration voice.there is a whole section, number 504, and called nursing shortage, which addresses all our problems.It seems that it may end up numbered as H.R 1645.
Let’s hope this one makes it all the way!!!
My question to HLG is:why is this one being introduced in the house instead of the senate?will it be a joint resolution?
thank you,
eider from uk.
Thanks HLG for the update. I too feel this STRIVE act will take long time to pass.
I request HLG to workout measure to work on Recapture ammendment, which is easier.
I agree with most of you that the fastest way is the “recapture” visa bill. I hope HLG can swing this one for us.
Good luck to all RN’s and PT’s.
More power to HLG!
Dear HLG,
I think everyone would deeply appreciate a predicted timeline for the Strike Act. What are your estimates of the chances of Strike Act passing House? Senate? Does this bill have a good shot or do you think it won’t make it through. Everyone is waiting for an update.
Please note that, plenty of Nurses with NCLEX are waiting for retrogression relief and seeme it won’t get it done very soon. Hence, they are trying to migrate to some other countries where the immigration is liberal. Please push the US Congress for retrogression relief in order to avoid the confusion for the nurses. Now several Nurses and thier family lost thier jobs who came from other Middle East, South Africa and some other countries (they were working there)to India (Indian Citizens) & Philippance (Phili Citizens) for the Counsilate interview during Sep/Oct/November/Dec 2006 and not got Visa on their paasport with some few documentation reasons.And now those families are totally confused and delibrately waiting for the retrogression relief.
Dear HLG,
I think everyone is ready for an update. Could really use some good news about Schedule A retrogression relief. This waiting game is taxing and distracting. I really hope good news is on the horizon. Thanks…
HLG ,
Any comment on this bill ? Can we hope this will come true this year ? Or any hope for recapture ?
Thanks
I just hope it would be passed into law before August 2007. It has been an issue from different forums and news papers that if this Immigration bill won’t be on the president’s table before Agust 2007 for approval then it will die out automatically after the House recess on August. Because the talk will set its lime light on 2008 Presidential election, they will all be very busy for the campaigns, etc. Hence, we must watch vigilantly on the passing of this STRIVE ACT or much more healthcare lobbyist MUST push through with the recapture of unused visas for schedule A category.
Group prompts boycott to demand immigration reform
After an announcement during the Cesar Chavez march in Denver Saturday, immigrant rights organizers say they plan to jump-start a week-long boycott today in Colorado to send a message to Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Efforts on this initiative began early this month when the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition and other nonprofit agencies sent more than 10 people to Washington, including three members from Our Lady of Peace Church in Greeley. The residents discussed immigration reform with Colorado representatives.
“This is all a step in the right direction and … that’s what needs to be done,” said Vickie Lara, a member of Our Lady of Peace Church who visited Washington speaking about the suggested boycott set to last through April 1. “Noise needs to be made.”
Emily Parkey, a representative for CIRC, said they were invited by the Cesar Chavez Committee in Denver to be part of the annual event to honor the well-known Chicano civil rights activist. By hosting a boycott, Parkey said, the organization wants to show the impact immigrants and their supporters have in the community.
“What we are looking for is a comprehensive and just immigration reform,” Parkey said. “We hope to show the economic power that immigrants have in Colorado.”
So far this year, there has been one proposal set forth to Congress on immigration reform that was introduced in the house March 22 from U.S. Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., which has been dubbed the Strive Act 2007. The bill would allow undocumented immigrants in the U.S. before June 1, 2006, to eligible for legalization by paying a $500 fine, passing security and background checks, and proving employment before that date.
In addition to an earned legalization program, the bill also would create renewable visas for new immigrant workers, increase the size of the border patrol, establish stricter criminal penalties for evading border inspections and ease naturalization for non-citizens who serve in the armed forces.
Considering the issues surrounding immigration in Greeley in the last year with the proposal of an immigration office and the recent immigration raid at the Swift & Co. meat packing plant, Celestino Corral of Greeley, said it’s time Congress takes action. Corral also was one of the members from Our Lady of Peace Church to attend the Washington visit.
“It’s going to give more importance as to why (Congress) needs to work on the immigration issue,” Corral said. “Working together, I think that we can make a difference.”
Parkey, said more than 400 representatives from 33 states visited Washington. She added that they hope to visit again in May.
“It’s time that the immigrant community unites with their allies in pushing forward a comprehensive immigration reform that meets the needs of the community,” Parkey said.
– The Associated Press contributed to this story.
CIRC Boycott
As part of the statewide boycott, starting today through April 1, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition asks that people do not:
– Spend money or make any purchases during the week.
– Withdraw money from the bank, leaving only the minimum.
– Send money to countries of origin.
– Make any consular transactions.
– Turn off the television and use minimal electric energy.
The CIRC asks that Congress pass a comprehensive immigration reform that:
– Provides a path to permanent resident status and citizenship for all members of our communities.
– Reunites families and reducing immigration backlogs.
– Creates a worker program that protects the rights and dignity of workers.
– Ensures that all law enforcement entities respect human rights and civil liberties.
– Provide clear steps to integrating immigrants into all facets of community life.
– Restore fundamental civil rights and protect the rights of refugees and asylees.
I’ve been following the so called STRIVE act and other immigration news. In as much as I am hoping for a positive news (either for the strive act or the retrogression), it seems that everything is going on a downhill. I hope I am wrong.
Thank you Hammond Law Group for helping much in the lobbying of this Strive Act which help nurses who are stranded in the NVC.