We, the undersigned businesses, creating jobs and positively contributing to the economy here in the state of New York, hereby call on our Senator, Charles E. Schumer, to include the worker visa programs our state needs in any comprehensive immigration reform package. 
    

As employers in industries where skilled and unskilled workers are vital to the overall success of our businesses, we need a realistic and workable visa system that allows us to hire the employees necessary to maintain and grow our businesses.  We need a visa system for long-term skilled and unskilled workers, and we also need temporary visas for seasonal and highly-skilled professional workers.

While the labor market may require fewer workers in a down economy, there are still jobs that our domestic workforce is not filling.  Any reform legislation must be capable of addressing fluctuating market conditions - it must be able to meet our workforce needs during downturns and at times of full employment. 

The reality is that foreign workers in ANY economy complement the native-born labor force and, by keeping businesses open and growing, support American jobs.  An inadequate supply of unskilled and skilled provisional workers will choke the economic recovery and hinder employers' ability to create jobs.

We applaud your leadership, Senator Schumer, in keeping the issue of immigration reform in the forefront of our nation's priorities.   We strongly urge you to ensure that reform meets the workforce needs of all New York employers.