VOA常速英语2008年-New York Business Group Seeks Fewer Restriction

By Nathan King
New York
29 April 2008
 

New York City business leaders say the U.S. visa system has become so restrictive that the city is losing out to other cities in the search for global talent. The business group Partnership¹ for New York City says security fears and the political debate over immigration have resulted in added restrictions² on the number of visas available for skilled foreign workers. Nathan King has more.

New Yorkers like to say their city is the world's melting pot. But when it comes to attracting global talent to work here, New York business leaders say the Big Apple is losing its global standing³.

They blame current U.S. immigration policy, especially the limited number of H-1B visas granted each year to companies that want to bring highly talented individuals to the U.S. to work.

This year, the government will grant 85,000 H-1B visas. The demand is so great that the full quota⁴ was filled on the first day applications opened, on 1 April.

In 2007, there were over 150,000 applications.

Kathryn Wylde heads a business leadership organization called Partnership for New York City. She says false perceptions cause the U.S. to lose out on potential global talent.  "We are fighting on the visa issue a myth that somehow we have a domestic workforce⁵ that could fill the jobs by people coming in on H-1B or other professional visas," says Wylde. "That is just not true."

The partnership argues that global talent helps to open new markets abroad for New York companies, brings in high earners to live and spend money in the city and helps to create jobs for ordinary New Yorkers.

The New York region accounts for the largest number of H-1B visa applicants⁶, and the business group wants Congress to increase the number to reflect market realities.

The campaign has the backing of such high profile companies as aluminum⁷ giant Alcoa, based here on Park Avenue. Alcoa spokesman Kevin Lowery says the company has lost talent to other cities due to the restrictions. "There's countless⁸ industries that have already done this where people are moving their people from the U.S. over to London," says Lowery. "Long term that is not sustainable."

There is powerful opposition⁹ to increasing immigration. The United States is in the midst of an economic slowdown with unemployment rising, and this is an election year.

Mark Kerkorian is the head of a lobbying organization called the Center for Immigration Studies. He says granting H-1B visas is a way to bring inexpensive labor¹⁰ into the United States.  "H-1Bs [foreign workers] earn less and have lower levels of skills than comparable American workers  in the same regions of the country," contends Kerkorian, "so this is clearly without a doubt just a cheap labor visa."

New York business leaders reject that assertion and maintain that for every foreigner granted entry to the U.S. with an H-1B visa, five jobs are created for Americans. They say that while cities in Europe and Asia are increasing visas for global talent, New York should not be held back.

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

5 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

6 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

7 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

8 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。