America's Brain Gain
Action is needed now to maintain access to a key source of America’s competitive edge.
Most Americans agree that the nation needs to reform its immigration policies. Despite lawmakers’ vigorous efforts, however, no agreement has emerged on a comprehensive approach. Microsoft will continue working with Congress to enact broad immigration reform next year. But Congress still has time this year to approve short-term measures, which have wide support, to ensure that the world’s best and brightest can still be attracted to study, live and work in this country.
For generations, America’s success at attracting talent has helped us become a global innovation leader and created economic opportunities for all. Today, the nation’s need for graduates in science and engineering far exceeds the supply. Many employers, including Microsoft, rely on being able to bring in highly skilled individuals from other countries in order to continue expanding operations in the United States.
Unfortunately, America’s immigration policies are increasingly driving away the world’s top talent and consequently forcing U.S. companies to expand overseas. This is having an adverse impact on U.S. competitiveness and on domestic growth in the technology industry.
Before adjourning for the year, Congress can remedy the situation with a much-needed, temporary increase in H-1B visas, the primary means for bringing in workers with scarce, advanced skills. Currently, the number of H-1B visas granted each year is capped at 65,000, an arbitrary number that bears no relation to U.S. industry needs. This year, the supply ran out more than six months before the fiscal year even began.
As a result, we are even losing well-trained graduates from our own colleges and universities — foreign nationals who make up a large percentage of our graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Many of them want to contribute to the U.S. economy, but cannot because work visas are unavailable. Instead, these graduates are recruited by America’s foreign competitors, who are taking advantage of our outdated system.
Congress should allow foreign graduates from U.S. universities to stay here and work for the technology companies that desperately need them. Before Congress adjourns, lawmakers should act to provide near-term relief for shortages in other critical sectors of the economy, and address other immigration concerns where there is agreement.
By adopting these targeted remedies, Congress can then focus on comprehensive immigration reform, and on redoubling efforts to improve education and expand U.S. output of scientists and engineers, so that Microsoft and other U.S. companies can hire even more Americans.
Meanwhile, Congressional action is needed now to prevent the current shortage of highly skilled workers from resolving itself — through a job-killing economic slowdown caused by a loss of U.S. competitiveness. On that, we believe most Americans, and most lawmakers, can agree.
