When the country debates immigration, most of the discussion focuses on the poor and “huddled masses” entering the country illegally from Latin America.
But there is another, and in some ways more important, group of immigrants: skilled, educated workers who are here legally and are sorely needed to fuel our economic growth.
H1B visas are issued to a limited number of skilled workers, usually in the technology fields. And while we may consider them immigrants, H1B permits last for only six years and the workers have a non-immigrant status.
Silicon Valley persuaded Congress to raise the cap to 115,000 in 1999, and then up to 195,000 from 2001 through 2003.
However, the government currently caps the number at 65,000 annually—a third of what it was several years ago—and it has already reached its limit for 2007, even though the fiscal year doesn’t start until Oct. 1. Washington opened the application process last April 1, and the visas were capped out on May 26.
Information-society firms desperately need this skilled help but will have to wait until October of next year to begin filling in the gaps with foreign workers—unless Congress does something about it, again.
The current Senate immigration bill raises the H1B limit to a mere 115,000 a year, with an automatic 20 percent increase every year after that. Not great, but it’s a start.
The House bill is much worse because it has no provision for raising the limit.
Let’s be clear: We aren’t talking about free-riders on the education, welfare or health care systems. They aren’t terrorists. They are highly educated and skilled “knowledge workers.” They learn English. They assimilate into society. They pay taxes.
In other words, all of the usual criticisms leveled at illegal immigrants—whether true or not—do not apply to these workers.
If Congress does nothing else about immigration, it needs to expand the number of H1B visas available each year. That would benefit the economy and keep the country true to its principles of being a nation open to immigrants.