Legal immigrants and job creation?

[HoosierHelen]

I've been wrestling with why our nation allows so many legal immigrants into our country through our H1-B program for skilled workers for a couple of years now. These are skilled individuals who duplicate skills our own citizens have. They span the medical field, the information technology field, and other science fields. These individuals are law abiding, well skilled individuals who appreciate their work in the USA and some do move forward once here and become citizens. Others gain their experience here and return to their own countries. I wrestle within myself because these are good people, yet because they are here, many skilled and educated Americans are not being offered jobs they qualify for. I'm just curious what others think on this topic? Following is a link regarding this topic and what our congress is looking at:


Just a few weeks ago a bill that would have made it easier for foreigners who graduated from American universities with degrees in the so-called STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) to get permanent work visas -- and thus be more likely to put down their future-job-creating roots in the United States -- failed in the House. This is not good for job creation, especially when you consider that over the last 15 years, almost a quarter of venture-backed startups were launched by immigrants. The sticking point was that the bill, sponsored by Republican Lamar Smith of Texas, would have gotten rid of the yearly lottery that gives out 55,000 permanent visas. Many Democrats opposed the bill because they wanted to keep the lottery, which brings in immigrants from many countries in Africa and Asia, and instead supported a proposal by their party's Zoe Lofgren of California that would keep the lottery and provide for 50,000 new permanent visas for STEM grads.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ariann...b_1933091.html

[TheBigB]

As somebody who works in academia, I can tell you that quite simply, we are not getting qualified US citizens applying for jobs we post in our group. They either do not exist, or they are not interested.

[evilkumquat]

As somebody who works in academia, I can tell you that quite simply, we are not getting qualified US citizens applying for jobs we post in our group. They either do not exist, or they are not interested.

With the hit that science and education has taken in our country over the past however many decades, is it any wonder we're bleeding qualified applicants?

[Copycatted]

we're bleeding qualified applicants?

I like that part of your quote EK. It reminded me of the Presidents final words this evening about those moving up to the middle class. Doesn't say much about the lower class though that don't have no bleeding heart though medically able to