Madsen urges Congress to extend visa cap 

Foreign, seasonal, nonagricultural workers returning to Idaho should stay exempt from a federal cap on visas, Idaho Department of Labor Director Roger Madsen recently told members of the state’s congressional delegation.

Under the Save Our Small Business Act of 2005, foreign, nonagricultural workers who had been hired previously were exempt from a federal cap on annual visas. The exemption expired Sept. 30.

Negotiators are trying to reconcile House and Senate versions of recent legislation that would extend the exemption for a year. The Senate version is called the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill.

Madsen wrote to Idaho Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo, and Reps. Mike Simpson and Bill Sali. In the letter, Madsen said that without the exemption, the cap is already exceeded, and no Idaho employers who have yet to submit applications for these workers will be able to do so, the Idaho Department of Labor said in an Oct. 29 release.

Idaho’s low unemployment rate makes it difficult to recruit enough United States workers to meet employer demands, Madsen wrote. Hiring the documented, foreign workers helps seasonal businesses – such as resorts, and planting and quarrying operations – stay viable, he wrote.

Last year, 90 Idaho employers were authorized to hire a combined 2,200 documented foreign workers for nonagricultural jobs, according to the state Department of Labor.

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