Third Way, a think tank representing centrist ideas, recently released a memo titled “The Gang of 8: Making America a Magnet for Global Talent.”  This memo compares how the comprehensive immigration reform bill prepared by the Senate Gang of 8, S. 744, would help improve the outdated practices and laws found under the current immigration system.  The memo lists a number of problem areas found in the current system and how they would be fixed under the new bill. 

Please click below to access the full memo.

On May 10, 2013, Jonathan Rothwell and Neil Ruiz from Brookings released their latest study titled “H-1B Visas and the STEM Shortage.”  This study looks into the debate surrounding the need for more H-1B visas in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.  It ultimately finds “that the H-1B program helps to fill a shortage of workers in STEM occupations.” 

Please click through to access the study.

On May 1, 2013, Stuart Anderson at the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) released his most recent report titled “H-1B Visas Essential to Attracting and Retaining Talent in America.”  In this report, Anderson finds that the immigration bill proposed by the Senate “Gang of 8,” S. 744, will severely limit an important and widely used employment-based visa category.  Specifically, the report found:

Please click through to read more and to access the report.

On March 13, 2013, Brookings released its new report titled “Better Align H-1B Visa Fee Revenues to Local Workforce Needs.”  The authors of this report, Neil G. Ruiz and Jill H. Wilson, recommend that the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) at the DOL should focus its distribution of H-1B visa revenue to areas “with a high demand for H-1B workers to train the existing U.S. workforce for high-skilled jobs.”  The revenue generated from these fees is currently distributed among areas with a lower demand for H-1B workers.

Please click through to read more and to access the report.

In February 2013, the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) released its report titled “The Contributions of Immigrants to Cancer Research in America.”  This report details the importance that immigrant scientists have had at the top cancer research institutes in the United States, some of which are ACIP members. 

Please click through for more information and to read the report.

Today ACIP and SHRM released a joint statement supporting three new bills put forward by Congress to provide qualified US STEM advanced degrees holders who have a job offer with 50,000 additional green cards.  The STEM Jobs Act of 2012, HR 6429, will likely be up for a House vote on Thursday, September 20, 2012.  Summaries of the bills introduced, including HR 6429, are a part of this update.

The Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE) issued a report in collaboration with the Partnership for New York City this month, titled “Not Coming to America: Why the US is Falling Behind in the Global Race for Talent.”  The report identifies risks that face the US economy if it does not reform its current immigration laws.  The report also explores the recruitment strategies of other countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and how they utilize these strategies to recruit the top talent and workers necessary to grow their economies.

One of the great values of your ACIP membership is FREE participation in education events like ACIP’s June 4^thAdvocacy Day and Hill briefing – which will take place on Monday of our week-long 2012 Symposium. No advocacy experience or cost is required – just a desire to educate Congress on why your organization needs to have continued use of important non-immigrant visa programs like the L-1 and H-1B, why we need employment-based green card reform for U.S. STEM master’s and Ph.D.s, as well as why it is critical to reduce the overall backlogs.