Ken Berlack
H-1B or Not To Be
The immigration issue with all of its complexity is back before the U.S. Congress as well as in the streets. No matter where you stand on this issue, you have to applaud our democratic system and the people’s ability to organize and advocate for their interests. For U.S. growth companies, the immigrant sector they pay close attention to is non-native high-tech workers employed here via the H-1B visa.
Many current H-1B visa holders come from India and China, both of which are countries that produce enormous numbers of engineering and science graduates.
The point here is that the H-1B visa program, as with overall immigration policy, is in need of reform. The current annual H-1B visa cap is 65,000 — down from 195,000 in 2003. It also takes forever to upgrade from the H-1B to green card status. It’s no secret among many entrepreneurs running tech-oriented growth companies that high-skilled foreign workers are critical assets to their companies’ prowess. These H-1B workers also are adept at becoming entrepreneurs themselves, starting innovation-based growth companies and creating jobs in their communities.
So, as Congress continues its deliberative slog through the immigration issue, a grassroots assemblage of H-1B visa holders has launched a Web site, called Immigration Voice, to advocate their positions (which include increasing the annual H-1B visa cap and speeding the green-card issuance process) to lawmakers. The Washington Post covered Immigration Voice and its work in its edition yesterday.
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