Compete America Ask Congress to Reform Broken H-1B/EB Visa System. Today, Compete America, a coalition of more than 200 corporations, universities, research institutions and trade associations, asked Congress to reform the broken H-1B and employment-based immigration system during their lame duck
session.
The letter states, in part:" If we are serious about remaining the world’s innovation leader, we must fix our broken employment-based visa system, and we urgently request your support for reform this year."
November 13, 2006
Dear Member of Congress:
As the 109th Congress approaches adjournment, we urge you to complete action on an issue of critical importance to U.S. competitiveness – remedies for the outdated and counterproductive H-1B visa and employment-based (EB) green card programs. U.S. employers are unable to hire any additional highly educated H-1B visa workers until October 2007 – even if these sought after individuals may have received advanced degrees from U.S. universities. Moreover, EB green card processing backlogs continue to force tens of thousands of valued employees – including scientists, teachers, engineers and medical professionals – into legal and professional limbo for years. The need for action in 2006 is urgent. The undersigned organizations urgently request your support to ensure that U.S.
businesses and universities have continued access to necessary talent, and for the U.S. to remain the world’s innovation leader. We urge Congress to pass the provisions that would relieve the drastic H-1B and EB green card problems before adjournment.
To remain competitive in the future and to help keep jobs here in the United States, U.S. employers must be able to recruit and retain highly educated workers, many of whom have been educated and trained at our own universities. Never before has our country been in such a fierce worldwide competition for top talent. Our competitors have stepped up efforts to attract these workers, while the current U.S. visa system prevents U.S. businesses, universities, medical institutions and research centers from doing the same. Thank you in advance for your support of this critical issue. If we are serious about remaining the world’s innovation leader, we must fix our broken
employment-based visa system, and we urgently request your support for reform this year.
To learn more about the U.S. competitiveness crisis, please visit
