Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), along with Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Raúl Labrador (R-ID), are to be commended for introducing the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act (H.R. 213), a bipartisan bill that would help our most innovative companies attract the talented employees needed to keep our economy strong and our country competitive.
Eliminating arbitrary per-country caps on employment-based green cards is the single easiest thing Congress can do to help U.S. tech employers and address an unnecessary dysfunction in our broken immigration system. It makes absolutely no sense that our current immigration system limits the talent pool by restricting nationals from a single country when they comprise more than 7 percent of the total number of employment-based immigrant visas. ITI’s member companies are among our most innovative, competing in a global economy where talent knows no borders. Preventing a skilled worker from providing his or her skill set in the U.S. because of a law from an earlier age placing arbitrary country of origin limits on their country of origin is counterproductive and no longer makes sense in today’s Internet-age economy.
We have long advocated for changes to our immigration system that allow U.S.-based employers to attract and retain the world’s best and highly educated employees so that we can continue to compete and succeed in a global marketplace. Removing the antiquated per-country limits on employer-based visas is an important step in maintaining our competitiveness as a nation, and we commend Reps. Chaffetz, Lofgren, and Labrador for working together to introduce the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act.
Previously the House passed this bill with broad bipartisan support. Congress should pass the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act quickly this year to help the tech sector continue to lead the innovation economy that drives prosperity and renewed job creation here at home.
This article first appeared on Protocol and was sponsored by ITI as part of our 2020 National Political Conventions Series. Tacy Trowbridge Education Programs Lead at Adobe Inc Every school should cultivate [...]
The 116th Congress marks another moment of profound political change and an important opportunity to advance policies that meet the needs of Americans and American-based businesses in the 21st century. [...]
It’s easy to forget just how much technology has changed our world and our lives. A little more than a decade ago, a small business owner relied on foot traffic from local customers rather than web visits [...]
As of today, employers seeking to sponsor an H-1B employee for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 can begin filing petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If history is any indication, USCIS [...]
Like the United States, the tech industry is a collection of people with exceptional skills and backgrounds. They have helped create a plethora of innovative products and services that benefit our day-to-day [...]
Although the United States has led in creating the technologies that have driven major innovations in previous decades, continued American leadership is not assured. Robert Samuelson’s “China’s breathtaking [...]
The technology industry is driven by the potential the future holds. From turning a simple code into a device that can detect diseases and save lives, to growing a small online network among friends into [...]
The start of the 115th Congress and new administration not only marked an era of profound political change, but it also presented a unique and timely opportunity to modernize outdated policies. Lawmakers [...]
Earlier today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the agency has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the total statutory cap of 85,000 visas allotted under law for fiscal [...]
H-1B visas allow companies to hire highly skilled immigrants who are a valuable part of the U.S. economy and yesterday, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the agency reached its congressionally [...]