The
American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) applauds the
introduction of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and
Immigration Modernization Act and commends the bipartisan “Gang of
Eight” senators for their efforts to fix the U.S. immigration
system so that it serves our economy.
AH&LA
supports the inclusion of a temporary worker program as part of a
broad-based immigration reform proposal, which would addresses the
future needs of our economy. We are strongly encouraged by the
inclusion of a new, more streamlined process for employers and
workers. It is clear that the “Gang of Eight” invested a great
deal of thought and effort to create a program that ensured that
extensive recruitment of Americans would occur prior to the hiring of
a temporary worker, and that the higher of the actual or the
prevailing wage would be paid.
The
inclusion of the Jobs Originating through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act
in the immigration legislation is another significant benefit for the
entire U.S. economy, as the provision would accelerate America’s
efforts to regain its share of the travel marketplace. AH&LA
supports key provisions that include developing a pilot program for
expedited visa processing and charging fees sufficient to pay for it,
encouraging longer visits to the U.S. by qualified Canadians, and
setting a visa processing goal to increase accountability in the U.S.
visa system. There are also key reforms to the Visa Waiver Program
(VWP), so we can welcome critical VWP travelers from more nations,
while upgrading our public safety through strict security safeguards.
The
lodging industry also greatly appreciates the “Gang of Eight’s”
inclusion of the H-2B returning worker exemption and wage methodology
in their legislation. Seasonal properties throughout the country rely
on that program for temporary seasonal workers during their peak
business periods.
While
there are some improvements we hope can be made, this immigration
bill is a significant achievement and we are extremely grateful for
the dedication and hard work demonstrated by these eight senators to
fix the U.S. immigration system
