WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott introduced the American Hiring Transparency Act to incentivize hiring skilled American workers over cheap, foreign labor.

The bill would enact a $10,000 fee for employers hiring foreign workers using the Application for Permanent Employment Certification and closes loopholes in the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) labor certification system to boost American workers.

There is currently no fee to submit this form. At the same time, employers who want to outsource work to foreigners have found ways to get around current job posting requirements.

Senator Rick Scott said, "American workers deserve a fair shot at the American Dream. Instead, many have been forced to watch jobs they are qualified for get raffled off overseas to someone willing to accept a substandard wage - all with the U.S. government's blessing. That's not acceptable. A good job is the cornerstone of the American dream, and federal policies should always put American workers first. That's why I'm introducing this bill."

The labor certification of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provisions requires employers to demonstrate that there are insufficient U.S. workers and that the foreign national's employment will not adversely affect wages and conditions for similar U.S. workers.

For example, employers are required to place job advertisements on two different Sundays in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of intended employment to establish that there are no U.S.-based workers available for the position.

This requirement is vulnerable to abuse. For example, employers can strategically advertise jobs in low-circulation physical newspapers to discourage U.S. workers from applying.

The $10,000 fee will enhance employment search tools like USAJOBS.gov to give Americans a single, user-friendly platform to discover job openings and submit applications. This enforces Section 1182's requirement that qualified U.S. workers be given a fair opportunity to obtain these jobs.

The fee will also offset program costs, upgrade the capabilities of USAJOBS.gov, and raise significant revenues to be directed to the U.S. Treasury.

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