U.S.A. NEWS BRIEFS

Dr Arun Majumdar

INDO-AMERICANS IN U.S.A.

Preeta Bansal    Dr Shuvendu Sen   Dr Prakash Narain

Foreign Students Contribute Billions to U.S. Economy

The High-Skilled Immigration Act

Indian American Preeta Bansal Appointed to Key Post

Indian American lawyer Preeta Bansal, who was an adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign before serving in the administration, has been appointed to a key administration post. Preeta Bansal has been appointed Member of the Advisory Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States, the White House said in a statement, which also announced the appointment of Boris Bershteyn to the same position.

"I am proud to appoint such impressive individuals to these important roles, and I am grateful they have agreed to lend their considerable talents to this Administration. "I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead," Obama said in a statement.

A rising Democratic rising star, Bansal served as the General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of Management and Budget from 2009 to 2011. In that capacity, she was also a government member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the US, serving as Vice Chair from 2010 until 2011. She is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Bansal, who studied at the Harvard Law School, has earlier served as an adviser to Obama's presidential campaign. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, she was a Partner and Head of the Appellate Litigation Practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, LLP, in New York City. She is the former Solicitor General of the State of New York and a former law clerk to US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. From 2003 to 2009, while in private law practice, Bansal also was a Commissioner of the bipartisan United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, serving as its Chair from 2004 to 2005. 

Indian American Dr Shuvendu Sen Honored 

Shuvendu Sen, MD has been honored with Oscar Edward E. Award for Volunteerism and Community work by the American College of Physicians, North Carolina chapter on January 28th, 2011 at Washington Inn, Duke University, North Carolina. The award was given due to his outstanding contribution to the community. Amongst his many contributions, Dr Sen has been the founder Director of Project Access, Harnett County, North Carolina, a non profit organization to treat patients with no health insurance.

Formerly an Attending Physician of Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital, NC and President, Harnett County Medical Society, Dr Sen has recently moved to Raritan Bay Medical Center, New Jersey as Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program and Director, Medical Education.

Dr Sen, also serves as the Chair of the Surgical Technology Program at Long Island University. He received The Men of Distinction Award from NY State Senator Shirly Huntley on March 24th, 2008. 

Dr Prakash Narain Becomes Mayor Pro Tem of Cypress, California

The five-member City Council of Cypress, California approved Prakash Narain, M.D., as the new Mayor Pro Tem of Cypress on December 12, 2011, effective immediately. First elected to the City Council in 2006, he also served as Mayor Pro Tem in 2009, and as Mayor in 2010. Narain won easily in his bid for reelection in November 2010, as he ran unchallenged. He is the first Indian-American and first physician elected to this City Council, and perhaps the first Indian-American Mayor in the Southern California region. S ince the city of Cypress has term limits, Mayor Pro Tem Narain's second and final term will end in December 2014. He will hold the one-year term position of Mayor Pro Tem until December 2012.

Foreign Students Contribute Billions to U.S. Economy

As per report by Migration Policy Institute, Foreign students contribute significantly to the US economy. During the 2010-11 academic year, foreign students and their dependents spent $20.2 billion between living expenses, tuition, and other related fees. Many states, including California, Texas, and New York, which receive the most international students, get substantial economic benefits. New York state received $2.43 billion from students. 

Last year saw an 8 percent increase in foreign students in the United States, with 723,277 studying in the country.  Because of financial benefits and brain gain, various countries compete to recruit international students and, after graduation,  try to retain them to reap the benefits of their advanced skill sets.

The High-Skilled Immigration Act

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill modifying the visa system that will allow highly skilled immigrants to obtain permanent residency status faster. The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigration Act (HR 3012), eliminates per-country caps on employment-based visas and institutes a first come first served system.   

Currently, immigration law limits employment-based green cards allowing permanent residence for citizens from any one country to no more than seven percent of the total green cards approved by the State Department in any particular year. The rule makes it tougher for workers from big countries that provide most of the foreign tech workers. Although it is easier to obtain a green card for applicants from smaller countries that don't generate a significant amount of applications. Individuals from India, the source of most tech industry immigrants to the US, often have to wait up to 10 years for a green card due to the per-country cap.   

The High-Skilled Immigration Act aims to correct such imbalances by switching to a first come, first served system for the roughly 140,000 employment-based green cards awarded each year. In addition to eliminating numerical caps on employment-based green cards, the Act would also raise the per-country cap for 226,000 family-related green cards from seven percent of the total to 15 per cent.