On Temporary Visas, Skilled Workers are Putting Down Real Roots

April 13, 2008

Author: Tyrone Beason

Source: The Seattle Times

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20080413&slug=pacificpvisas13

The American Dream can sneak up on people.

Take Naresh Bhatt and his wife, Bansri, who moved to the United States from India 15 years ago under a government visa program for highly skilled and sought-after workers.

Like thousands of Indian immigrants with computer skills who've taken advantage of the "H-1B" program, they came as temporary workers in the Seattle area's burgeoning high-tech sector, where companies like Microsoft were aggressively recruiting foreign nationals to fill positions in their work forces.

The visa allows firms to hire such foreign workers and keep them here for up to six years, longer in some cases.