At least someone is trying to save one of our most vital immigration visa programs to our sustained scientific and innovative world leadership, the H-1b visa program. A bill introduced by Rep Gabrielle Giffords in March 13, 2008 referred to as the Innovation Employment Act, is getting some attention lately. The Act is an attempt to reform the H1-B visa program. From Columbus, Ohio & Michigan to both coasts, it is the visa that America's highly technical industries rely on to hire highly skilled foreign nationals to work in the United States.
One of the key reform features of the Bill is to increase the current H-1B visa cap from the current 65,000 to 130,000 a year. Additionally there would be no H-1B visa cap on foreign nationals who have studied science, technology and related fields in U.S Colleges. The current H-1B visa cap is 20,000 for US Masters Degree holders in all fields (referred to as the H-1B Advanced Degree Exemption). Another key reform feature is to prohibit companies with more than 50 employees that have more than half of their staff as H-1B workers, from hiring more H-1B workers. The Act also would prohibit employers from advertising jobs as available only to H-1B workers.
The Innovation Employment Act is supported by Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates. He said America provided the world's best universities and yet foreign students were not allowed to stay and work in the country. The legislation would allow access to the best talent available from all over the world. Microsoft believe that the bill would increase U.S jobs; Microsoft hires four local people to support each H-1B worker.
The proposed Act would be a step in the right direction to control outsourcing and keep jobs home. Many proponents believe that the proposed Act can be beneficial to our economy. It keeps foreign talent in the US so they don't leave to competing countries, where jobs follow them. It is no secrete that large companies have relocated some of its operation overseas to seek talent unavailable in the US. Microsoft has moved certain branches to India, Canada & Mexico.
The H-1B visa cap should reflect the economy's need for high tech workers, not arbitrary limit set by Congress. Highly skilled workers are much needed in our economy and currently there is a shortfall notwithstanding the high general unemployment rate. It is argued that normally, employees don't compete for limited number of jobs such that H-1B workers replace Americans. To the contrary, businesses create job when there is growth and vice versa.
A study by the National Foundation for American Policy found that the for each highly skilled H-1B employee hired, five new domestic jobs are created. So by increasing the H-1B cap, we are allowing companies to fill vital positions and expand their operations in America instead of moving overseas.
