With thousands of Coloradans out of work, especially in the technology and engineering sectors, the time has come to address the foreign visa holders occupying jobs which can be held by able bodied citizens of the United States. Some employers have abused the H1 Visa programs by insisting they need to hire foreign nationals, because they cannot find American citizens who can perform the work.

There are thousands of American citizen professional who hold technical; degrees from universities and colleges in the United States. There are many of these people living in Denver and Northern Colorado. Many of whom are out of work and discovering positions have been given to foreign nationals with H1B and other visa categories. Many learn of this when they are interviewed by a foreign national for a job they applied for.

As the jobless rate continues to climb by the thousands every day; it is time that our elected officials help the American technology and engineering workers and suspend these visa programs. With jobs becoming increasingly scarce, it is hard to believe that the United States allows foreign nationals to take jobs from Americans without a potential employer proving that they cannot fill a job by a citizen of the United States. In the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and Canada this is a strict requirement to work in these countries.

We do not know what the recent stimulus bill will do for the economy and jobs. But, we know we can free up at least 100,000 - 250,000 or more jobs nationwide by suspending these visa programs. The United States is having difficulty providing jobs for their own citizens, why should United States continue to support foreign nationals taking jobs from its own citizens?