Americans will have to hope that a lottery can bring in more talented immigrants. After just 5 days, the 85,000 visa quota for high-skilled immigrants has been maxed out, two-months faster than last year. Now, eager immigrants will have to submit to a lottery for a chance to work in the U.S.
High-skilled immigration reform is a top priority for the nation’s technology sector. Nearly a quarter of engineering and technology companies had at least one foreign-born founder, and have been responsible for many of the most profitable firms, from PayPal to Google.
Unfortunately, high-skilled immigration reform has been stalled in the U.S. Congress until it can pass comprehensive reform. For a more thorough run-down on the arguments on both sides, check out a debate we held between high-skilled reform expert, Vivek Wadhwa, and Congressman Gutierrez.
A draft of the comprehensive immigration reform law is expected to hit Congress this month. Expect a a long, vicious fight.