ImmigrationU.S. tech companies hope visa reform for high-skilled immigrants is near

U.S. technology companies hope that what appears to be a more bi-partisan approach to immigration reform will not overlook the need to address the issue of high-skilled immigrants.

In the past, efforts to reform the U.S. address the need of the high-tech industry for more engineers and mathematicians gained support from both Republicans and Democrats, but these  efforts always stalled when they were made a part of  a broader immigration reform effort. Technology lobbyists say that now is the time for a high-skilled immigration measure to reach the finish line.

Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, told theHill that a measure backed by the tech industry could be significant to passing legislation because it is one of the few immigration issues in which both parties agree on.

This time a bipartisan group of senators are set to introduce a new bill. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) have teamed up with Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Chris Coons (D-Delaware) to propose the Immigration Innovation Act, which will increase the cap for H-1B visas to 115,000 from the current 65,000 (see “Lawmakers propose bill which would increase visas for highly skilled immigrants,” HSNW, 29 January 2013). 

Hatch is considered a leader on the immigration issue and is the second highest GOP member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will be in the middle of the battle on immigration reform, while Rubio is  a rising star in the Republican Party and is a known voice in the immigration debate.

“There’s no question that [Rubio is] seen as one of the important Republicans to have on board, not just on high-skilled, but on far more challenging immigration issues,” Robert Hoffman, senior vice president for government affairs at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) told the Hill.

“To have those two names on the bill suggests a depth of understanding and a sense of forward movement on the issue of immigration,” Hoffman added. “That gives us reason to be hopeful.”

Rubio recently told the Wall Street Journal that having more high-skilled labor in the U.S. would be beneficial to the economy.

President Obama and Senate Democrats have made it known that they plan on passing a comprehensive immigration package.

The Hill reports that late last year the White House opposed a high-skilled immigration bill authored by Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas), saying it would not entertain “narrowly tailored proposals” that do not meet the president’s goals for comprehensive immigration reform.

Tech firms see the Immigration Innovation Act as a high-skilled immigration measure that has the potential to be wrapped in a larger bill.

“If we want something to happen in the next four years, it’s comprehensive or nothing,” Shapiro told the Hill. “It’s not my first choice, but we’re like thirsty men in the desert—we want water and if it takes comprehensive [legislation], then we’ll do comprehensive.”

Hoffman agrees with Shapiro. “If it’s linked to a broader effort on immigration, our hope is that the clear need of highly skilled professionals will help give the larger effort momentum, and get it across the finish line,” Hoffman said.

American tech companies say they face  difficultiesfilling engineering and research job positions because too few Americans graduate with math and engineering degrees. Companies such as Microsoft and Intel have argued that an immigration reform would provide a boost to the economy.

 “A 65,000 [H-1B visa] starting point is just not feasible for this economy. That’s the same number we started with in 1990, when the economy was one-third the size it is today,” Hoffman told the Hill. “Demand for highly skilled workers well exceeds the supply.”