A CONSENSUS of concern about Congressional legislation
which seeks to curtail legal immigration emerged at a recent networking meeting
of international business executives sponsored by Metro Atlanta Chamber of
Commerce, International Business Association and World Trade Center Atlanta.
“I don’t think that this legislation would directly
affect us right now,” said James Jones, international sales director of
Futurus, a Norcross software company. But Mr. Jones added that Futurus could
be affected negatively should there be a shortage in experienced programmers
for openings which the company could not fill by hiring qualified PERSONNEL
abroad. At present, the company does not have any foreign employees.
On the other hand, Rogelio Cipriano, president of
Atlantic International Translators, said that the legislation would make it
harder for him to provide translations for U.S. companies that want to do
business in other countries. He finds it ironic that although these
professional people are helping American companies to sell their products, the
U.S. government may increase the restrictions on legal immigrants.
Michael Walker, physician recruiter of Paces Medical
Group of Atlanta, said that a bill introduced by Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo.,
would “eliminate very highly qualified and competent people” from the pool of
available talent. Foreign medical professionals often are willing to accept
positions that U.S. born and trained doctors might not want for a variety of
reasons including lower pay, the areas in which the jobs are located and the
large case loads of indigent patients, said Gary Ascher, Paces’ business
manager.