Blue Card, Green Card, Pink Card
Blue Card, Green Card, Pink Card
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2007 7:40 PM
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1776 -- 10/25/2007 >>>>>
Stories about the European "blue card" are proliferating, which is odd since
there has been attempts to push this visa onto the European Union since 1999.
Why so many stories now?
Could it be because the cheap labor lobby in the U.S. is lobbying for an H-1B
increase?
Perhaps the "blue card" story is being revived because it suits the purposes
of the high-tech industries that continue to replace American workers with
cheap foreign labor. It's one more argument they can use to lobby for more H-
1B visas. The argument goes like this -- unless the U.S.
increases the number of H-1B and green card visas, a crisis will occur as we
lose out in competition for skilled workers. Of course this assumes that there
is a vast pool of geniuses like rocket scientists that will move anywhere in
the world to earn a few more euros, or rupees, and it also assumes that this
nation doesn't have smart people that want jobs. Both are myths of course, and
the few foreign geniuses there are for hire aren't going to need a blue card
or an H-1B visa to enter their country of choice.
Red carpets look the same everywhere.
This quote says it all, and pay particular attention who is funding the
propaganda effort:
"Europe has laid down a challenge to the United States Congress,"
Ralph Hellman, a lobbyist for the Information Technology Industry
Council, said in a statement. "The EU will attract the best and
brightest workers in the world if the United States continues
to create new burdens to hiring these valuable workers." ITI's
members include Apple, Microsoft, Dell, Cisco Systems, IBM
and Intel.
For some reason the "blue card" is being compared with the "green card", which
some say is actually pink in color. Actually blue cards have much more in
common with the H-1B visa. Like the H-1B visa, the blue card would be a
temporary visa that would be used primarily for high-tech workers, and because
the employer owns the visa, the worker is indentured. Blue card holders are
given visas for 2 years, as opposed to 3 for H-1Bs, and both of them go out of
status if the foreign worker loses their job.
I suspect that the motivation for equating "blue cards" and "green cards"
has less to do with facts and more to do with clever marketing. The cheap
labor lobby knows all too well that H-1B comes with some heavy baggage and
negative connotations, whereas green cards are adored by all the media
darlings, pundits, and politicians.
So just who are these skilled workers that Europe will be stealing from the
U.S. if the EU manages to convince European countries into accepting the blue
card? According to several articles blue card holders must make at least 3x
the minimum salary in the EU. Is anybody in Europe asking why a minimum wage
would be necessary to attract the best and brightest people in the whole wide
world? Certainly nobody in the U.S. media is thinking of asking such obvious
questions.
Your next question might be -- what is the minimum wage in Europe? Well, the
simple answer is there isn't one yet, but if the EU gets there way there will
be one.
Read this for some background on minimum wages in Europe:
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2005/05/inbrief/de0505203n.htm
European minimum wage policy proposed
This has more detailed information on minimum wages throughout Europe.
Minimum wages in Europe
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2005/07/study/tn0507101s.htm
For the sake of argument, I'll choose the minimum wage of the UK and Ireland
which is about 7 euros per hour; which works out to about $10 an hour, at
least until the dollar crashes again. It's probably fair to assume that the EU
won't settle on Lithuania's minimum wage of .85 euros per hour which works out
to about $1.20. Hmmmmm. Actually since the EU is run by wealthy bankers, they
probably would like to drive salary levels down to that level, but I'll still
use the UK levels for this example.
OK, so assuming that blue card holders must earn at least $10 an hour, that
means European employers could potentially steal our H-1Bs that are making
less than $30 an hour. That doesn't seem like much of a loss to me, but the
mainstream media is declaring a national emergency over the matter.
Another question that these articles never take on is who loses if the U.S.
wins this competition to import cheap labor? Surely not American high-tech
workers! I have a suggestion on how to cure Europe's problem and solve ours
-- let's staple a blue card onto every one of our green cards and H-1Bs, along
with a one way ticket to Brussels -- the capital of the EU and the
headquarters of the globalists. At least then we can have something to export!
Articles Included
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202601624#community
Could Europe's New 'Blue Card' Cause Global Tech Talent To Shun U.S.?
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/10/23/blue_card/
Blue Card: Don't leave home without it?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/23/europe_immgration_policy/
Europe considers blue card for immigrants
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2007/gb20071024_989882.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe+index+page_top+stories
EC Unveils 'Blue Card' Visa Program
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202601624#community
Could Europe's New 'Blue Card' Cause Global Tech Talent To Shun U.S.?
The European Union hopes that its proposed blue-card program will provide a
more attractive alternative to the U.S. green-card program, which critics say
is plagued by backlogs, cumbersome processes, and insufficient quotas.
By Marianne Kolbasuk McGee, InformationWeek Oct. 25, 2007
URL:
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202601624
While the United States continues to argue about whether to raise the H-1B
visa cap and reform green-card processes to allow more foreign tech workers
into the country, the European Union wants to make it much easier for highly
skilled workers from abroad to land jobs in the EU's 27 member countries.
The EU, which is predicting a severe workforce crisis over the next several
decades as its Baby Boomer generation retires, aims to attract 20 million
workers from the outside in the years to come.
The EU hopes that a new proposed "blue card" will help fill that void,
providing a more attractive alternative to the U.S. green-card program, which
critics say is plagued by backlogs, cumbersome processes, and insufficient
quotas.
The blue card would provide educated immigrants, including tech professionals,
with a two-year, renewable permit to work and reside in an EU member nation.
Because the EU aims for a worker's blue-card application process to take less
than three months, the visa would provide a fast track for foreign-born
individuals to land jobs in EU member countries.
By contrast, the U.S. green-card process can take anywhere from five to 10
years for an individual to gain permanent residency. And the 85,000 annual
quota on H-1B visas for temporary foreign tech workers has been running out
quickly for the last few years, forcing many prospective workers to take jobs
elsewhere.
In addition to being an alternative to the U.S. green card, the blue-card
program will also provide an option to foreign-born individuals who might have
considered taking jobs in Canada or Australia, two other favorite destinations
for the highly-skilled international workforce.
The EU's unveiling of the blue-card program this week comes at the same time
that the U.S. Senate approved a spending bill amendment that could raise
employers' H-1B visa fees to $5,000 per worker from $1,500. The additional
fees will be used to fund new scholarship programs for U.S.
students pursuing technology, math, and science-related degrees.
Compete America, a coalition of technology companies that has been lobbying
Congress for several years to raise the H-1B visa cap and make green-card
reforms, blasted the fee hikes and expressed worry about the blue card's
potential impact on the U.S. tech workforce. "Europe has sent a message.
They're aggressively pursuing the professional talent they need to compete on
the global stage," said Robert Hoffman, VP for government and public affairs
at Oracle and co-chair of Compete America, in a statement.
"The Senate has unfortunately also sent a message, and it doesn't bode well
for the U.S. economy," Hoffman said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/10/23/blue_card/
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Listen to the show
Blue Card: Don't leave home without it?
In an effort to attract highly skilled immigrant workers, the European Union
is proposing its version of the U.S. "green card" visa. It would offer faster
approval and employment guarantees. And it has U.S. businesses worried. Dan
Grech reports.
TEXT OF STORY
KAI RYSSDAL: Maybe you knew this already, but the green card that U.S.
permanent residents get? It's not really green. It's more pinkish, actually.
But color aside today the European Union proposed its own version. With a
couple of twists. First of all, theirs will be called a Blue Card...after the
blue flag of the E.U.. Also it's not about permanent residency. It's about the
next generation of computer programmers and engineers. And that has American
businesses worried. Marketplace's Dan Grech reports.
DAN GRECH: The European Union faces a shortage of 20 million skilled workers
over the next 20 years. So it's streamlining its immigration process. Under
the proposal, foreign workers would fill out a single application for any of
E.U.'s 27 member nations. Workers will get their blue card in one to three
months.
Tamar Jacoby is an immigration expert at the Manhattan Institute.
TAMAR JACOBY: A European blue card is bad news for the U.S. because it means
that Europe is going to start to do a better job at competing for these
skilled workers.
Blue cards would require employers to offer a one-year contract, a salary
three times minimum wage and health coverage. Countries would set their own
blue card quotas.
Robert Hoffman is co-chair of the Compete America coalition.
Robert Hoffman: The E.U.'s blue card really should be a red flag to the U.S.
Congress. It's time to wake up and change our policies in recognition of this
growing competition for talent.
The U.S. faces a massive backlog in H1-B visas for skilled workers. This
year's quota of 65,000 was surpassed on its first day. Stuart Anderson is with
National Foundation for American Policy.
STUART ANDERSON: Currently, if an international student graduates from a U.S.
university, they may have to wait a year before they could work in the United
States. That's just too long for people who are ambitious and have many other
options.
Critics of U.S. immigration policy say the blue card may have a silver lining.
It may spur Congress to action.
I'm Dan Grech for Marketplace.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/23/europe_immgration_policy/
Europe considers blue card for immigrants
By John Oates
Published Tuesday 23rd October 2007 14:22B GMT European justice commissioner
Franco Frattini is expected to back a commission proposal for "blue cards" for
immigrants to the EU from countries outside the community.
The commission is worried that by 2050 Europe will have two working people
supporting, through taxes, every retired person rather than four working
people supporting each retired person as at the moment.
To counter this, the commission wants to attract more skilled workers most of
whom currently go to the US. Frattini reckons the EU gets five per cent of
skilled immigrants while 55 per cent go to the US.
Immigrants will need specific skills - IT and engineering workers are
currently in short supply, especially in the UK and Germany. To qualify for a
blue card immigrants would need qualifications, three years' experience, a job
offer, and would have to be filling a job which could not be carried out by an
EU citizen.
This is similar to the current Highly Skilled Migrants programme in the UK,
but HSMP does not require applicants to already have a job offer.
The card would allow skilled immigrants to work for two years in one EC
country and then either renew their visa, work in another EU country or leave
the EU.
Current immigrants to the EU get a working visa for one country and must re-
apply if they wish to move.
The idea has been knocking about since 2005 but seems to be gaining some
traction. British government ministers are already saying they'd prefer a
"points system", according to the BBC (see more here
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7057575.stm)).
There's a discussion document from two MEPs looking at the issue here
(http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/018-10568-267-09-39-902-20070921STO10548-2007-24-09-2007/default_en.htm).
The commission is also looking at changing regulations around seasonal workers
- people who travel to the UK, France, or Spain for seasonal work, typically
agriculture. .
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2007/gb20071024_989882.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe+index+page_top+stories
Europe October 24, 2007, 12:39PM EST text size: TT EC Unveils 'Blue Card' Visa
Program
To help EU countries attract highly skilled workers, officials propose an
immigration plan similar to the U.S. green card system Representatives of the
European Commission in Strasbourg unveiled a "Blue Card" fast-track migration
program Tuesday as an attempt to allow skilled workers from outside the
European Union to overcome immigration hurdles more easily.
"We are not good enough at attracting highly skilled people," European
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said at a press conference called for
the plan's release.
Possessing an European Union-wide work permit would allow skilled workers
-- including medical professionals, engineers, IT specialists and other highly
qualified workers -- to get work permits, move among the EU countries and
obtain long-term residency status more easily and quickly, according to the
proposal. "Highly qualified" was defined as having a university degree and
three years of relevant experience.
Holders of an EU Blue Card would be treated just like EU nationals as regards
tax benefits, social assistance, payment of pensions, access to public housing
and study grants. According to the proposal, the Blue Card would be valid for
two years, after which it could be renewed. It would also be revokeable if the
holder became unemployed for more than three months. Family members would be
permitted to join the card holders.
The card is similar to the Green Card used in the United States. European
Commission officials voiced the opinion that the EU's 27 countries lag behind
the US and Canada in attracting and retaining highly skilled immigrant
workers. "The EU as a whole ... seems not to be considered attractive by
highly qualified professionals in a context of very high international
competition," the proposal says.
EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini, who has been working
on the proposal for years, pointed to statistics showing how the EU was losing
out to competitor nations in attracting skilled labor. The statistics showed
that the percentage of the EU's highly qualified workforce was made up of 0.9
percent non-EU workers, as opposed to 9.9 percent for Australia, 7.3 percent
for Canada and 3.5 percent in the US.
"These figures show very clearly that, for the highly skilled workers, Europe
is not very attractive and this is the reason why we have decided to launch
this proposal," Frattini said.
Falling birth rates and demographic shifts throughout Europe are some of the
chief reasons why Europe is seeking to attract more skilled labor.
Estimates hold that the EU's working age population will decrease by 50
million by 2050, causing shortages in critical sectors.
I'm not sure why the "blue card" is being compared the the "green card"
because it's got much more in common with the H-1B.
U.S. proponents of expanding H-1B visas are already using the "blue card"
as an excuse. They argue that the U.S. will lose out in competition for
skilled workers.
H-1Bs are temporary visas that are owned by the employer, and the visa holder
goes out of indentured status if they lose their job.
So just who are these skilled workers that the US and Europe are desperately
competing for?
ANSWER: High tech, highly skilled, and highly educated workers that are
willing to work for 3x the minimum salary of Europe.
It sounds to me like Europe is more interested in attracted cheapest scabs
that can be found, not the best and brightest. That's one more similarity with
the U.S. H-1B program.
To gain approval, the "blue card" and related legislation would have to be
approved by all 27 EU member states. According to the proposal, each member
state will set its own quotas for "blue card" grantees, based upon its needs.
The card has met with some resistence, particularly in Germany, where many
remain skeptical of a pan-European solution to the problem. In September, the
idea drew fire from German Economy Minister Michael Glos, who said:
"Germany could not take in large numbers of foreign workers just because it
needs them at one particular moment." But business leaders in Germany have
complained in recent months that shortages in skilled workers (more...) such
as engineers and computer specialists could start to have a negative effect on
the economy.
To be eligible to receive a "Blue Card" a migrant would have to have a
contract for at least one year for a job with a salary at least three times
-- or, for candidates under 30, two times -- the minimum wage in that country
and health insurance. To offer the job to an immigrant, employers will be
obliged to show that the job could not be filled by an EU citizen.
Next year, the commission is planning to propose employment guidelines for
seasonal workers involved in the agriculture, construction and tourism
industries. Thereafter, it hopes to also address the issue of non-EU employees
of multinational companies who are often required to obtain multiple work and
residence permits when working and living within the 27-member bloc.
The EU had been considering this issue since 1999, but shelved it for several
years following 9/11. If EU member states agree to the law, each country will
have two years to implement it.
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