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Senator Dick Durbin calls on Senate to pass Irish E3 Visa bill

Asks Republicans to act now and pass the bill

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Friday, March 23, 2012, 8:25 AM

Updated Friday, March 23, 2012, 8:25 AM

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Senator Dick Durbin

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Senator Dick Durbin has urged the senate to pass the E3 visa bill which will potentially allow 10,500 Irish immigrants to come and work in the US each year.

In December, Senators Schumer and Leahy introduced an amendment to the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, a wider bill dealing with hi tech visas for Indians and Chinese as well as shortening waiting time restrictions on Hispanic groups. The bill would allow 10,000 Irish a year to come on two-year work visas that could then be renewed every two years.

“Our proposal is a common-sense measure that would improve the fairness and efficiency of our immigration system and further strengthen America’s special relationship with Ireland, a nation to whom we owe so much,” the Illinois senator declared in a statement.

“All 53 Democratic Senators – a solid majority of this Senate – have also pledged their support for our proposal. Despite this broad support inside and outside of Congress, at this time there is an objection on the Republican side to passing our bill.

“We want to work with our Republican colleagues to break this impasse and create the Irish E3 visas this year. As Prime Minister Kenny has said, Ireland’s economy will recover from its current difficulties. But with Irish emigration higher than it has been in decades, it is in the interests of both Ireland and America that we act now, without delay, to create a fair and legal way for Irish citizens to work temporarily in America,” Durbin added.

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gowestie | Mar 25, 2012, 07:51 PM EDT

I am an American with Irish/UK/German ancestry. I can tell you that the U.S. has enough of an unemployment problem that we do not need nor want large numbers of foreign workers to compete for jobs in the U.S. with our own unemployed. The U.S. taxpayers will continue to have to pay for unemployment benefits for our own unemployed and yet the government talks about importing foreign workers to compete and take jobs. This is hardly a very wise national policy. How would Ireland feel if their government was allowing tens of thousands of foreign workers to have visas to work legally in Ireland yet you have your own high unemployment. It makes no sense for Ireland and it make no sense for the U.S.A. Making matters worse for the U.S. is the large number of illegal immigrants that we have. Put yourself in the U.S. position and think how you would like to have to compete for jobs with foreigners as we have to do. I would think you would be outraged as I am.

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BrianO | Mar 24, 2012, 09:17 AM EDT

You would be served well to read Bill Canukian's comment agaian. Scott Brown is a threat to the Democrats as he is a republican moderate from my very liberal state of Ma. Durbin's only interest is to wrestle away credit from Brown or better still to have it fail and tie Brown to it. Meanwhile real people are suffering. For those coming over, the squeeze on skilled workers is here also, most people are either overworked, not working, or delivering pizza.

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JBRAFTREE | Mar 23, 2012, 03:45 PM EDT

This guy Durbin is a good, solid guy, (abeit a democrat.)

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abbym7180 | Mar 23, 2012, 02:42 PM EDT

I'm 100% for the E-3 bill. Currently if you want to come work over here in america you can't.If E-3 passes the senate , you can ! And I think the irish should have that option to work here.Unfortunately some of the republicans are blocking it up ( sen.Grassley R-iowa).I've written my senator , my congressman in texas etc. And yes even grassley the old crab himself.I hope you can the option to come & work here soon.:)

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KerryGold | Mar 23, 2012, 01:46 PM EDT

I would love to go to the US to live and work.I am professional but I continue to upskill so that I can get a job there. It is not that I do not want to contibute here, I want a change, I want to experience life in the US and all it has to offer. We have alot to give, profesionally and socially. We should be provided with visa, think of all the Irish has done for all the countries we emigrated to. Maybe its time we got a little back.

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Bill Canukian | Mar 23, 2012, 10:51 AM EDT

Sadly, Durbin is just playing election year politics. Grassley has offered to move Brown's bill s.2005 onto the floor with amendments, but Durbin and Schumer will never allow that since they don't want Brown to take the credit and get rewarded in the November elections, so they keep the Irish E3 tied to the lead weight of HR3012 which will doom it to the dustbin of history. Somebody needs to ask Durbin and Schumer why they won't let Brown's bill go to the floor for an up or down vote.

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MacGregor | Mar 23, 2012, 10:18 AM EDT

I mean to cause no offence, but what makes the Irish so special? Why should Irish nationals automatically receive visas each year and not others? Personally, I'm a Scottish-American and would like to see 10,000 work visas going to Scots workers..

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