According to the Commerce Department. the problem is compounded by the fact that there is also a global shortage of skilled IT workers. in part the result of many developing countries like Malaysia pursuing ITbased economic development growth plans. Mr. President. today we are considering legislation to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to help American firms remain competitive in the global information technology market. Specifically. we are debating whether to increase the number of HIB visas that are available for highly skilled workers to fill IT positions in the U.S. S. 1723 would increase the current cap on H1B visas for skilled workers from 65.000 per year to 95.000 for the remainder of the year. and to 115.000 by fiscal year 2000. From my discussions with information technology leaders. and on the basis the reports from the Commerce Department and ITAA regarding the IT worker shortage. there are compelling reasons to raise the cap on H1B visas. In many instances. American IT companies need the experience and language abilities of foreign workers to effectively compete in local markets. Additionally. with the IT industrys heavy reliance on research and development. there are times when the unique skills of a foreign worker contribute significantly in the development of critical information technology. Mr. President. while it may be necessary to increase the number of H1B visas that are available for skilled IT workers. there are education and training initiatives that we must also encourage the IT industry to undertake to make certain that opportunities are available for U.S. workers who want to enter the information technology field. We must especially focus on retraining unemployed and older displaced workers.. and encourage new partnerships between the IT industry and education institutionsboth at the secondary and higher education levelto meet this IT worker shortage challenge. I have been impressed.
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H1B visas Immigration