Senator Scott Proposes Bill to Charge Employers for Sponsoring Foreign Workers

Senator Rick Scott has put forward a new bill that would require employers to pay a $10,000 fee to the Department of Labor (DOL) when seeking to sponsor foreign workers for green cards. He argues that this measure would provide Americans with a “fair shot at the American Dream.”

The term “PERM,” which stands for Program Electronic Review Management Certification Form, refers to the application companies submit to the DOL. Scott emphasizes that hiring non-citizens indicates a lack of qualified, willing, and available Americans for those jobs.

According to an immigration visa consultancy, obtaining a PERM is often considered “the first and most important step in many employment-based green card applications.”

Even though the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Labor Certification mandates employers to advertise job openings in local newspapers to attract U.S. citizens, some find ways around this by advertising in less popular publications.

Scott’s proposed American Employment Transparency Act would direct the $10,000 fee from companies going through the PERM process into two places: half will support a new PERM fee account, while the other half will go to the U.S. Treasury’s general fund.

Money collected in the PERM fee account would be utilized to improve the management of the PERM process and enhance labor market testing tools, including websites like USAJOBS.gov, ensuring that Americans have a fair opportunity to compete for jobs.

“American workers deserve a fair shot at the American Dream,” Scott stated in an exclusive comment. He expressed frustration that many qualified Americans witness jobs being given to foreign workers willing to accept lower wages, often with government approval.

“That is unacceptable,” Scott added. He argued that securing good jobs is fundamental to the American Dream and underscored that federal policy should prioritize American workers, which is the motivation behind his bill.