Headline, February04, 2014

''' AMERICAN VISA : NEVER DARE 

A BLINK OR YOU WILL MISS IT '''

For the time in many many years, America's immigration service will hold lottery to allocate the visas it makes available to foreigners recruited by private businesses to work in the country.

This is because applications for the  65,000  HIB visas it issues to corporate America each fiscal year, starting on April 1st, were expected to exceed the number available by April 5th. All of this for the year 2013.

And five days is not the record for reaching the cap on business visas. In 2007 it took just one day and, in 2008, just two.

The silver lining   -that this is yet more evidence of a stronger American economy  -sits inside a very dark cloud. 

The cap on the visas is entirely arbitrary and unnecessary, and almost certainly imposes high economic costs on the country.

And as Michael Clemens, an economist at the Centre for Global Development,  points  out   -in every year since 2003, even in the depths of the recent recession:

Demand from business  for  H1B   visa has exceeded the cap, leaving companies unable to fill  jobs  that would have boosted the economy.

Studies have found that skilled immigrant workers are more likely than their domestic counterparts to create patentable inventions   or start new businesses.

Some say they steal American jobs. Mr Clemens retorts that, given the cost and difficulty of getting a visa, few firms would give a foreigner a job if they could find a suitable candidate at home.

Measures to make it easier to recruit skilled foreign workers are part of broader immigration reform. These are likely to include raising the annual cap on H1BS to at least:

The  195,000 it stood at in 2001 -03, when the talent needs of the tech sector where taken more seriously;

A new STEM visa for foreign students graduating from an American university in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics:

Who must now leave after graduation; and an entrepreneur visa for foreigners who raise funds to start a company in America.

It is high time. Other countries are rapidly becoming more attractive. As Steve Case,  the founder of AOL and of Startup American Partnership, a lobby for entrepreneurs, points out:

The proportion of  start-ups in Silicon Valley founded by foreigners has dropped from 52% a decade ago to 42% now.

As if to bolster his case, Canada,  just so very recently launched a new Startup a visa, available to any foreigner with:

C$ 75,000 to invest in creating a new business there.

Back at the hosts,  Pakistan, and the Education survey ASER:

The survey has assessed 5-16 years and 3-5 years age children's learning levels through specifically designed Class II level story text in Urdu/Sindhi/Pashto languages.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Grade 5 students have shown poorest competence in reading Urdu or Pashto as 61 per cent of them cannot read  Class II  level story text that grows to almost 89% when the same test was given to Grade-III students.

In the province of Balochistan, 51.2 per cent Class-V students could not read story text, while 94.4%  Class-III students failed in story reading text.

In Gilgit Baltistan, as many as 49% Class-V and  84% per cent Class-III students cannot read Urdu/Pashto story text.

In Punjab,  34% Class-V  and  73% Class-III students cannot read Urdu story text.

With respectful dedication to the Students, Professors and Teachers of Cuba. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World students Society Computers-Internet-Wireless:

''' You And Yours '''

Good Night & God Bless!

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless