High Drama Over Highly Skilled Workers

Governors and companies are pressuring Congress for immigration reform for the most talented as visa workers plan a march in Washington

by Moira Herbst

After failing over the summer to pass legislation that would overhaul the rules for all kinds of immigrants, Congress is gearing up to take on the narrower task of reforming immigration laws for highly skilled workers. The effort is less politically charged than comprehensive reform since it sets aside the contentious issue of what to do with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants (BusinessWeek.com, 8/22/07) already in the U.S., and it appears likely that some legislation will be passed. But there is opposition, and the nature and degree of reform for the highly skilled remains unclear.

The latest push came Sept. 11, when 13 governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Christine Gregoire of Washington, sent a letter to leaders in Congress urging them to take action on the issue. They asked for more temporary visas and permanent green cards for skilled workers from abroad to staff the companies in their states. "If states like ours are to remain world leaders in innovation and intend to continue to see the job growth that is so vital to our economies, we must keep our employers in our states and ensure there is a skilled workforce in this country to fill their immediate needs," they wrote.

The governors are adding their voices to a call by technology companies for more talented workers from abroad. Oracle (ORCL), Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Motorola (MOT), Intel (INTC), and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) have joined together in a lobbying group called Compete America that is pushing for immigration reform for high-skilled workers. "We need an immigration policy that adapts to the changing economy—and one that not only helps fill jobs but one that welcomes innovators who create jobs," says Robert Hoffman, a spokesman for Oracle and co-chair of Compete America.

Top Execs Make the Case

The momentum has some leaders in Congress optimistic about the prospects for substantial change. "I am increasingly thinking there is a greater willingness to move forward on immigration reform," says Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), chair of the House subcommittee on immigration whose district includes Silicon Valley.

Much is at stake for companies and workers on this front in the immigration battle. Tech players say their ability to compete in the world economy depends on their ability to recruit the best and brightest from anywhere. This year, Microsoft and Google (BusinessWeek, 6/7/07) both sent top executives to Washington to make their case, with no less than founder Bill Gates making the trip (BusinessWeek, 3/8/07). "Simply put: It makes no sense to tell well-trained, highly skilled individuals—many of whom are educated at our top colleges and universities"that the United States does not welcome or value them," Gates said in his testimony.

American tech workers and their advocates feel just as strongly that their futures are on the line. They contend that letting in more engineers and programmers from India or China drives down wages for U.S. workers, discourages kids from studying math and engineering, and ends up sending American jobs abroad.