By Kristena Hansen | Phoenix Business Journal
The proposed “W Visa” program outlined in the new immigration reform that bill rolled out last week by the “Gang of Eight” senators has been making big waves in the construction industry. The program, geared toward low-skilled workers in various service industries, would issue up to 20,000 W visas to in 2015, increasing to an annual 200,000 cap after five years. Construction, however, would be capped at 15,000 in any given year — a provision industry leaders say is unfair and hampers employment growth at a time of rising demand and a skilled labor shortage, particularly in Arizona.
