Bill Would Allow More High-Skilled Immigrants Employers Say Current Cap Is Too Low To Satisfy Demand

With Silicon Valley and other high-tech employers complaining of a labor shortage, a key Senate voice on immigration is proposing a steep increase in the number of visas granted to high-skilled foreign workers.

The United States allows up to 65,000 foreigners into the country annually under a special visa category for high-skilled workers. Employers in the booming high-tech sector contend that annual cap is far too low, preventing them from hiring qualified foreigners for jobs they are unable to fill domestically.

Sen. Spencer Abraham, who chairs the Senate immigration subcommittee, said Monday he will seek to boost that visa category to roughly 90,000 people annually. The Michigan Republican’s legislation also would allow the government to let in up to 25,000 more skilled workers under a different visa category if the quota for high-skill visas is exhausted.

High-tech companies have been vigorously lobbying Congress and the Clinton administration to let them bring in more talent from abroad, complaining of a shortage of computer programmers, systems analysts and engineers.

Last year, for the first time, the demand for “H-1B” visas - which entitle high-skilled workers to remain in the United States for up to six years - outpaced the availability.

One industry study estimates that more than 340,000 information technology posts are unfilled because of a shortage of qualified workers.

“Our cap currently is too low, and it’s going to cost America jobs and it’s going to hurt our economy if we aren’t able to fill these positions,” Abraham said at a news conference.

Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., who is introducing a companion bill in the House, added: “We need to do everything that we can to ensure that the best qualified people are here in the United States, so that our industries are able to remain on the cutting edge.”

Organized labor and other critics contend the industry is exaggerating the problem and recruits foreigners to hold down salaries. They also suggest education and job retraining should be the means of increasing the domestic talent pool.