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Can Immigration Reform Help The Technology Skills Gap?

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Over the past several weeks, we at MST have been exploring the “whys” behind the IT talent shortage in our community.  It has generated some lively and welcomed conversations – both internally and among our peers.  Thank you to all who have participated!

In this blog, I want to explore the role that H1B visa candidates play in the overall IT talent shortage…or better put, if and how H1B visa candidates can have a positive effect on the IT talent shortage.  To start, I thought I would give a brief overview of H1B visas – obtaining and maintaining H1B visa and a brief history of the number of H1B visas granted per year.  Then I will explore the hot topic of Immigration Reform that is currently before Congress now.

H1B Visa defined:

According to John Wilson, Immigration Attorney at GoffWilson, P.A:

    The H-1B visa is a sought after professional visa reserved for those with at least a Bachelor’s degree or the US equivalent.  The job itself must require a bachelor’s degree, must be considered a specialty occupation (most all IT positions are) … Using premium processing, a decision from the immigration service will be received within 15 days of receipt, and it usually takes about 2 weeks to prepare the application for filing.

Current H-1B’s granted in the U.S.

Also, according to Wilson:

    Unfortunately, there are only 85K H visas per federal fiscal year, which begins October 1st.  Applications may be filed on April 1st of each year, with employment beginning October 1st.  The immigration service determines following the first week of April whether the numerical cap on the H visas has been reached, and if so, a lottery is done for all applications received during the first week.  This past April, 2013, approximately 40K applications were not chosen in the lottery.

Proposed Immigration Reform:

Wilson also notes:

    Current proposed legislation in the Congress would increase the number of H visas by 50K, and then adjust further if there is greater or lesser need.  Although it is difficult to predict what Congress will do, it does appear fairly likely that a vote on many immigration measures will be done this summer, thus affording another opportunity for those that were previously rejected – though any that were rejected will not be given preference.

    Comprehensive Immigration Reform has been rejected in the past, but the movement to have it approved is routed in the need for political parties to secure the Hispanic vote, and for this reason there is thought to be incentive and motivation for Congress to now act, when in the past the Hispanic vote was not significant enough for Congress to act.

Here at MST, we are in favor of Immigration Reform for several reasons.  First, we think it is a pity to be educating students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine, only to then send them back to their native country simply because we don’t have enough Visas to grant.  And especially now, when there is a significant shortage of talent so desperately needed in these areas.

As we mentioned in an earlier blog, currently there are 3,000 +/- open IT positions in NH, and multiples more IT openings in the other geographic areas that we service.  And there are simply not enough qualified IT professionals to fill the jobs. Adding to the pain-point is that we are not graduating nearly enough Computer Science students to fill the growing number of roles – including H1B visa candidates.  But keeping ALL STEM graduates in the US and employing them in our economy is a great start in curbing the shortage!

That’s our .02.  We welcome yours…

John R. Wilson is an Immigration Attorney at GoffWilson P.A., a company assisting immigrants for over 20 years to fulfill their dream to come to the United States of America. They are devoted to immigration law with attention to corporations as well as individuals and have offices in Concord, New Hampshire, Nashua, New Hampshire, and Paris, France.

Learn more about Jennifer Gray here

The post Can Immigration Reform Help The Technology Skills Gap? appeared first on Market Street Talent.


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