AILA Public Statements, Press Releases

AILA: Outdated Immigration Laws Locking Out Job Creators

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) issued the following statement:

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has once again received more than enough H-1B petitions within the first five business days of the fiscal year (FY) 2019 filing period to reach the annual cap of 85,000 new H-1B visas. The H-1B visa was created to ensure that American employers can fill critical workforce gaps and keep the economy humming. More than a generation has passed since these artificial limits were set by Congress, and yet once again, job growth and competition will be impeded as U.S. employers are bound by the results of an arbitrary lottery. This is the sixth year in a row that high demand for H-1Bs has necessitated a lottery. This is an alarm bell that Congress has refused to hear for far too long. Further analysis will follow when USCIS announces the total number of cap-subject H-1B petitions that were filed for FY 2019.

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