WASHINGTON — The Semiconductor Industry Association and the Institute of Electrical Engineers-USA are urging swift congressional action to help skilled immigrants gain permanent U.S. residency status.
 
In a joint letter sent Oct. 11 to Senate and House leaders, the SIA and the IEEE-USA, often at odds on issues such as the H-1B visa program, together advised passage of measures to ease the hiring of foreign-born scientists and engineers and other proposals to enhance the global competitiveness of the U.S. high-tech sector.
 
The letter, signed by SIA president George Scalise and IEEE-USA president John Meredith, reads in part, "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 continues, “Currently 51% of master’s and 71% of Ph.D. graduates in electrical and electronic engineering from U.S. universities are foreign nationals. The SIA and IEEE-USA agree that these highly-talented individuals should be able to get permanent resident status … in an expedited manner.”

• Prev
• Next