Immigration reform wanted by two leading business groups

americaWith comprehensive immigration reform apparently looming close in the United States, two of the country’s leading business groups have been calling on lawmakers to support increasing the number of H-1B visas and offer green cards to entrepreneurs that create employment in order to make sure that the US is able to continue to attract the “best and brightest.”

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Long Island Association from California and New York have written a joint letter to US lawmakers in which they urge them to make certain that highly skilled immigrants are able to enter the United States legally, remain in the country and help with driving the nation’s innovation economy.  The organizations say that they are in favor of giving green cards to entrepreneurs who create jobs in the United States, advancing Technology, Science, Engineering and Mathematics degrees from US universities and expanding the cap on H-1B visas as well as forming a market-based H-1B escalator in order to make sure that the cap will be able to adjust to the economy’s demands.

They are also seeking exemption from the green card cap for advanced degree graduates in the US in addition to advanced degree graduates from overseas who have work experience in the States and want to see US visa opportunities expanded for temporary seasonal workers.

“The federal government must encourage the arrival of more high-tech workers who can travel to and work in the US,” the organizations say.