I want to provide affected students and their employers with actions they can take to urge USCIS to expedite “cap-gap” H-1B petitions. As we are getting close to October and USCIS has announced that it will not be resuming premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions, I think it is time to step up and make your voice heard! At this time, I urge you to mail a letter to your Senator and Representative.
I have drafted a sample letter for you below if you will be impacted by the lack of premium processing and long processing times for cap-subject H-1B petitions. Feel free to cut and paste the below sample, but be sure to personalize your letter so that it has more impact!
For Writing a Letter to Your Senator:
You can find the name and address of your Senator by going to http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm. When addressing your letter, use the following format:
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The Honorable (full name)
(Room Number) (Name) Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator (last name):
My name is __________, and I am writing this letter to urge you to hold USCIS accountable for delaying H-1B petitions stuck in the “cap-gap” and resume premium processing for these cases. For F-1 international students awaiting a decision on an H-1B petition, the “cap-gap” work authorization ends on September 30th. If the H-1B petition is not approved by then, cap-gap students must stop work and prepare to depart the United States, simply due to USCIS processing delays.
As an international student in the United States, I pursued a degree and graduated in [2017] with a [master’s] degree in the field of [computer science]. [it is helpful if you can include additional information about important work that you are doing during your OPT that will continue to benefit your field once you receive an H-1B visa]. I have been applying the skills learned during my degree program through practical training in the field of _____ with [employer]. As I have excelled in my work, [employer] ‘s business has benefited and the company sponsored me for an H-1B visa this year. Due to USCIS processing times, my application remains pending, and I will likely have to end my employment and return to my home country to apply my skills outside the United States.
Foreign students represent half of all U.S. graduate enrollments in engineering, math, and computer science. There still are not enough U.S. students graduating with advanced degrees in these fields to fill highly specialized positions. A 2012 report co-sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that every foreign-born student who graduates with an advanced degree from a U.S. university and stays to work in a STEM field creates on average 2.62 jobs for U.S. workers, often because they help lead in innovation, research and development. Without the availability of the H-1B visa in time for an October 1st, start date, my employer’s business will suffer.
Many opponents of the practical training and H-1B visa programs seek to pit native-born workers against their foreign-born colleagues. But, in fact, workers do not compete against each other for a fixed number of jobs. The United States has created a dynamic and powerful economy, and immigrants of all types and skills, from every corner of the globe, have worked with native-born workers to build it. Skilled immigrants’ contributions to the U.S. economy help create new jobs and new opportunities for economic expansion. Indeed, foreign-born students who graduate from U.S. universities positively impact the U.S. economy and employment opportunities of native-born workers.
The most dramatic gains in U.S. employment come from immigrants who earned advanced degrees at US universities and are employed in STEM fields. Delaying visa processing and suspending premium processing makes no sense given the demand for highly skilled workers and the extensive investment the country already makes in such students. Without a clear path to stay in the United States, these foreign students will fuel innovation and economic growth in countries that compete with the American economy.
With this letter, I urge you to support the U.S. economy by asking USCIS to expedite H-1B petitions for F-1 students in the “cap-gap” and resume premium processing for this select group of workers.
Thank you for your consideration, time, and support in this matter.
Sincerely,
____Name_______
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For Writing a Letter to Your House Representative:
You can find the name and address of your Representative by going to http://www.house.gov/representatives/. When addressing your letter, use the following format:
*************************************************************
The Honorable (full name)
(Room Number) (Name) House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Representative (last name):
My name is __________, and I am writing this letter to urge you to hold USCIS accountable for delaying H-1B petitions stuck in the “cap-gap” and resume premium processing for these cases. For F-1 international students awaiting a decision on an H-1B petition, the “cap-gap” work authorization ends on September 30th. If the H-1B petition is not approved by then, cap-gap students must stop work and prepare to depart the United States, simply due to USCIS processing delays.
As an international student in the United States, I pursued a degree and graduated in [2017] with a [master’s] degree in the field of [computer science]. [it is helpful if you can include additional information about important work that you are doing during your OPT that will continue to benefit your field once you receive an H-1B visa]. I have been applying the skills learned during my degree program through practical training in the field of _____ with [employer]. As I have excelled in my work, [employer] ‘s business has benefited and the company sponsored me for an H-1B visa this year. Due to USCIS processing times, my application remains pending, and I will likely have to end my employment and return to my home country to apply my skills outside the United States.
Foreign students represent half of all U.S. graduate enrollments in engineering, math, and computer science. There still are not enough U.S. students graduating with advanced degrees in these fields to fill highly specialized positions. A 2012 report co-sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that every foreign-born student who graduates with an advanced degree from a U.S. university and stays to work in a STEM field creates on average 2.62 jobs for U.S. workers, often because they help lead in innovation, research and development. Without the availability of the H-1B visa in time for an October 1st, start date, my employer’s business will suffer.
Many opponents of the practical training and H-1B visa programs seek to pit native-born workers against their foreign-born colleagues. But, in fact, workers do not compete against each other for a fixed number of jobs. The United States has created a dynamic and powerful economy, and immigrants of all types and skills, from every corner of the globe, have worked with native-born workers to build it. Skilled immigrants’ contributions to the U.S. economy help create new jobs and new opportunities for economic expansion. Indeed, foreign-born students who graduate from U.S. universities positively impact the U.S. economy and employment opportunities of native-born workers.
The most dramatic gains in U.S. employment come from immigrants who earned advanced degrees at US universities and are employed in STEM fields. Delaying visa processing and suspending premium processing makes no sense given the demand for highly skilled workers and the extensive investment the country already makes in such students. Without a clear path to stay in the United States, these foreign students will fuel innovation and economic growth in countries that compete with the American economy.
With this letter, I urge you to support the U.S. economy by asking USCIS to expedite H-1B petitions for F-1 students in the “cap-gap” and resume premium processing for this select group of workers.
Thank you for your consideration, time, and support in this matter.
Sincerely,
____Name_______