US lawmakers urged to retain skilled migrants

WASHINGTON (PTI): Two large tech industry organisations often at odds on immigration issues — notably on H-1B visas — have joined forces to push for swift Congressional action to facilitate retention of highly skilled immigrants in the US.

In a joint letter to key Senate and House leaders, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA (IEEE-USA) have urged passage of measures to ease the hiring of foreign-born scientists and engineers and other proposals to enhance the global competitiveness of the US high-tech sector.

“Both IEEE-USA and SIA see the retention of highly educated immigrants as part of a broader competitiveness and innovation initiative that includes a doubling of federal investment in research in the physical sciences, improvements in science, technology, engineering and math education at the K-12 and undergraduate levels, and enactment of a permanent and strengthened R&D tax credit,” the letter signed by top executives of the two organisations said.

The joint letter, sent to the Chair and the Ranking Member House Judiciary Committee and the Immigration Committee in the House of Representatives, said it was critical that problems created by outdated policies on highly skilled immigration be addressed.

“Given the difficult political issues surrounding changes to immigration policy, it is all the more important for parties with different viewpoints to come together and seek common understanding,” the letter said.