How many H1-B visas? The government won't tell you!

I have often stated that I've tried to compile the total numbers of legal foreign visas that this government issues per year. There are dozens of different Visa programs and it was impossible for me to get a total figure, especially with new programs being constantly added by the State Dept., the Senate, Homeland Security. And guess what....they are NOT going to tell anyone!

Little wonder that there are 3.6 MILLION visa overstays in this country and Homeland Security has NOT a clue where they are.

Lou Dobbs, aired 9/4/06

There is shocking new evidence tonight that our nation's temporary worker visa program is woefully mismanaged. In fact, this new information shows that the government has little, if any, idea how many H1-B visas are being issued each year.

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT : Attorney John Miano had a simple request. He wanted to know how many H1-B visas were issued in the years 2004,2005. The government would not tell him.

So...

JOHN MIANO, CO-FOUNDER, PROGRAMMERS GUILD: I filed a Freedom of Information Act request to get copies -- electronic copies of the records and applications for H1-B guest worker visas.

TUCKER: H1-B visas are temporary guest worker visas which allow foreign workers with specialized skills to work in the United States. Miano's reasons for wanting to know the information are basic.

MIANO: We do not know how many of H1-B visas are being issued each year. The second big question we would know is who is getting these visas?

TUCKER: So, what was the government's response to Miano's request?

"We have completed our search for records responsive to your request but did not locate any."

In other words, they've lost the records.

The response came from the person in charge of handling Freedom of Information Act requests. We asked the USCIS for a clarification, and a spokesman told us, "The response was a mistake, the letter was sent in error."

The mistake came to their attention after LOU DOBBS TONIGHT brought it to their attention. The agency tells us that the information Miano is looking for would be available for an additional fee of roughly $4,500 to $5,000.

The former director of the Office of Internal Affairs at USCIS is stunned.

MICHAEL MAXWELL, FORMER DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, USCIS: I have never heard of a taxpayer being asked to flip the bill for publicly available information. In fact, USCIS is required to provide these H1-B statistics annually to both the Senate and the House Judiciary Committees and they have not done that.

TUCKER: That the USCIS does not have an immediate database as to who holds these visas or where these people are raises national security implications.
Problems with the program are well known. there have been a number of government reviews critical of its management. Yet the Senate, instead of fixing the problem, stands ready to double the size of the H1-B program and it its so-called immigration reform bill, it will add additional guest worker programs for USCIS to administer.

Bill Tucker, CNN, New York. ~~~~~

Trackback! This is what USCIS admits to dealing with "legal" migrants DAILY. They can't handle this, can't tell you how many Visas they issue, but the Senate and Bush want to add a "guest worker" amnesty to their disastrous mix???? HELLO!

click here to see orignial document from USCIS.

* Conduct 135,000 national security background checks

* process 30,000 applications for immigrant benefits

* Issue 7,000 permanent resident cards (green cards -PER DAY)

* Welcome 2100 new citizens.

* Welcome 3500 new permanent residents.