H-1B Cuts Take EffectH-1B Cuts Take Effect

The H-1B visa cap last week reverted to its original 65,000-worker ceiling, down from 195,000. And congressional investigators raised questions about whether the Department of Homeland Security is doing a good job tracking workers in the United States on those visas.

In a report made public last week, the General Accounting Office called the data maintained on these workers by Homeland Security "incomplete." However, a new tracking system that the department is developing may help. It will use biometric scanners to check nonimmigrant foreign workers in and out of the country. It's scheduled to be deployed in 2005.

Meanwhile, IT worker layoffs continue--IBM last week said it's cutting 700 jobs. Yet, says Information Technology Association of America VP Jeff Lande, "in some regions, it's still difficult to find the necessary levels of engineering and design talent, so it has to be imported."