早上看到bbschinese上Dadi一个小贴子, 觉得是很好的消息:

[zz] 有关绿卡名额法案-参议院通过了

根据我的记忆, 如果法案通过, 我们至少有以下好处:
1. 每年增加三万H1名额;
2. 配偶和小孩不占绿卡名额, 意味着绿卡名额增加2.5倍;
3. 马上可以递交485(即使仍在排期中), 申请回美证(AP)和工卡(EAD); 485递交180天后可以换工作. [/zz]

花了点时间google今天的新闻, 找到下面一条相关的:

http://www.workpermit.com/news/2005_11_07/us/us_votes_to_increase_h1b.htm

US votes to increase H1B visa numbers

07 November 2005

The US Senate voted in favour of increasing the cap on H-1B visas by 30,000 to 95,000 from next year. The H-1B visa is largely used in the IT industry, and industry leaders have been lobbying for its increase in recent months.

The Senate also voted to increase the number of legal immigrants as part of a broad budget deficit cutting bill that was passed on 3 Nov. by a margin of 52 to 47 votes.

With a view to meeting its deficit reduction target, the Senate Judiciary Committee had last month called for adding some 90,000 employment-based green cards per year and raising the fee by US $500, which would earn some US $250 million for the government.

The Judiciary Committee increased the cap on the H-1B visas by 30,000 and raised the fee, adding another US $75 million.

The budget deficit reduction bill that was cleared by the Senate also removes family members from the ceiling on employment-based immigration visas that would now increase legal immigration by 240,000 people every year.

The total increase to immigration would now come to 330,000 a year, up nearly 33 per cent.

The passage of the Senate bill did not come by without opposition. Senior Democrat from West Virginia, Robert Byrd tried to take away the visa provisions from the bill but was overwhelmingly defeated by a 85 to 14 vote with only ten Democrats, three Republicans and one Independent supporting him.

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H1b名额增长好象不是什么news, 不过我是第一次听说绿卡签证增加名额的事. 如果是真的, 对labor已经approve, 准备file I-140和485的同胞是个大好消息. 大家对这段新闻怎样解读啊?