U.S. Chamber Urges Senate to Pass High Tech Visa Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce called on the Senate to ease the critical labor shortage currently facing U.S. businesses by passing legislation that would grant more visas to technical professionals and to streamline the immigration process.

"The demand for American workers with technical skills exceeds the supply," said Bruce Josten, Chamber executive vice president. "Without immediate action to fill the technology worker gap, the shortage will continue to grow, threatening American prosperity and preeminence in the global economy."

The Chamber supports the Senate Immigration Act, which would increase the cap on H-1B visas – temporary visas for highly skilled workers – to 195,000, allowing companies access to needed workers. The current annual limit on workers with H-1B visas (115,000) is reached earlier and earlier every year.

Increasing the cap on visas to 195,000 for fiscal 2001, 2002 and 2003, will enable companies to fill more high-tech jobs and the new visas will generate more than $100 million for education and training for American workers and students, according to the Chamber.

"Businesses will work with Congress to find domestic solutions to the long-term problem of worker shortages," said Josten. "Focusing on better education in Kindergarten through High School, partnering with the community, implementing more job training programs – are all part of building and maintaining an adequate skilled-labor pool."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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