HLG Blog: Legislation in 2008?
Read about HLG’s ongoing effort to work on Congress to have a Schedule A visa bill passed that ends retrogression. This month’s Blog entries include: how HLG is working to end the Schedule A retrogression, information about our Coalition strategy, a look ahead at key dates in 2008, and many other entries. Are you checking it regularly?
http://hammondlawgroup.blogspot.com/

The Coalition to Improve Healthcare Staffing (CTIHS) seeks more members
CTIHS is looking to add additional members to its ranks. Our goal is solely to increase visa options for Healthcare workers. Toward that end we are seeking to raise considerable funds and add new members to help broadcast the message to Congressmen, Senators, and the general public.
http://hammondlawgroup.blogspot.com/2007/12/ctihs-funding-drive-2008.html

http://www.ctihs.org

Nursing Groups fighting for more visas
As Congress struggled to finish its work on fiscal 2008 spending bills, hospital and nursing groups beseeched lawmakers to stick with their plans to increase funds for the education of nurses. The American Hospital Association and professional nursing societies warn that a massive nursing shortage is looming. While the United States likely will need more than 2.8 million registered nurses in 2020, it could have as few as 1.8 million working, according to a Health Resources and Services Administration report.
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=cqmidday-000002636661

Business Groups also fight for visas
High-tech companies, nursing groups, hotel resort owners and others are worried they could face labor shortages next year unless Congress acts. Lawmakers, lobbyists say, have been reluctant to move forward on the issue, however, in part due to the lingering fallout over last summer’s contentious debate on the comprehensive immigration reform bill.
http://thehill.com/business--lobby/businesses-push-for-guest-worker-plan-faces-resistance-2007-12-05.html

POEA: Don’t charge workers to Canada
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration warns recruitment agencies against charging or collecting any recruitment and placement fee from workers to be deployed to Canada and countries which have laws that prohibit the same.
http://www.poea.gov.ph/news/2007/PR-Dec2007_NoPF_Canada.pdf

Reminder: CGFNS: NY CVS Price increase Jan. 1
CGFNS recently announced new pricing for its Credential Verification Service for New York State. The announcement says that the “new price was necessitated by increases in fees charged by primary sources for securing required documents on behalf of applicants.” The new $350 fee goes into effect on January 1.
http://www.cgfns.org/sections/announcements/

Reminder: FCCPT: New Prices, Policies starting Jan. 1
FCCPT has announced several price and policy changes that will go into effect at the beginning of next year. Notably, paper applications will no longer be accepted as FCCPT moves completely into an on-line application system. Other changes, including filing fee increases, are set to take effect.
http://www.fccpt.org/forapplicants.html#FeeIncrease

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