Eric Thomas or Frances Cox 202/822-9491 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 5, 2008

Bipartisan Legislation Would Help U.S. Employers Retain Certain Highly Educated Foreign-born Graduates from U.S. Universities

Boxer/Gregg Bill Would Exempt Certain Graduates from Annual EB Green Card Limits

Washington D.C. – Compete America today applauded Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) for introducing legislation to exempt certain foreign-born students graduating from U.S. universities from the annual limit on employment-based (EB) permanent resident visas, or “green cards.”  U.S. employers rely on EB green cards to keep much-needed and sought-after highly educated professionals living, working and innovating in America. 

Specifically, the bill would exempt highly educated, foreign-born students earning an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics from a U.S. university from the annual EB green card limit. A companion bipartisan bill was introduced last month in the House of Representatives by Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) (H.R. 6039).

“We applaud Senators Boxer and Gregg for introducing this bill to allow U.S. employers to keep tomorrow’s innovators working for the American economy,” said Robert Hoffman, Vice President for Government and Public Affairs at Oracle and Co-Chair of Compete America.  “It is ludicrous to educate talented foreign nationals in our universities, and then deny U.S. employers the visas needed to keep them in America – that’s why the Boxer/Gregg legislation makes perfect sense.”

Backlogs in the EB green card system are well documented, with some foreign-born highly educated professionals waiting over six to 10 years to receive a permanent resident visa.   Without these incremental reforms, U.S. employers will continue to be crippled in the global competition for the world’s best talent, as more and more extremely valuable professionals from around the world take their education and abilities to competitors abroad. 

“It’s bad business for the U.S. economy to continue to lose critical employees to competitor nations while Congress fails to act,” continued Hoffman.  “We need to see action on immigration reform for highly educated workers this year, and we look forward to working with both the Senate and the House to make it happen.” 

For more information on how highly educated immigration benefits America, please visit www.competeamerica.org. 

Compete America (www.competeamerica.org) is a coalition of corporations, educators, research institutions and trade associations concerned about legal, employment-based immigration and committed to ensuring that the United States has the highly educated workforce necessary to ensure continued innovation, job creation and leadership in a worldwide economy.

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