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Sen. Boxer, Gregg See Need to Retain Talent in US |
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Written by Chelsey Drysdale
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Friday, 13 June 2008 |
SAN JOSE, CA – The Semiconductor Industry Association called on the US Senate to exempt certain highly educated, foreign-born graduates of domestic universities from annual employment-based green card limits, as proposed in legislation introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH).
The bipartisan bill would permit US semiconductor companies to retain critically needed talented professionals who make important contributions to American innovation.
Specifically, the bill would exempt highly educated, foreign-born students earning an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics from a US university from the annual EB green card limit.
Last month, Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) introduced a companion measure in the House of Representatives.
“Semiconductors are America’s second-largest export because our highly educated workforce designs the most advanced devices in the world,” said SIA president George Scalise. “The legislation introduced today by Senators Boxer and Gregg recognizes the importance of retaining this top talent, particularly after these students have graduated from US universities. We strongly urge Congress to enact this common-sense legislation this year. This is an opportunity for our elected leaders to show they are serious about taking steps to ensure America’s technology leadership through innovation.”
Backlogs in the EB green card system are well documented, with wait times for some foreign-born professionals spanning six to 10 years. SIA has partnered with IEEE-USA to advocate for EB green card reform.
“With US universities awarding half of master’s and 70% of Ph.D.s in electrical engineering to foreign nationals, it is clear that America also needs a long-term solution for retaining this talent,” said Scalise.
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