It is difficult to overstate the importance of the H-1B visa system to the US tech industry. American firms rely on it to bring in engineers, computer.
Something to look forward to: The semiconductor industry is in dire need of new workers and it is unlikely to find them in the United States. One possible solution has been proposed by the Economic Innovation Group, but can Congress come together on this sensitive issue in an election year?
It is difficult to overstate the importance of the H-1B visa system to the US tech industry. American firms rely on it to bring in engineers, computer scientists, and technicians from foreign countries to do much of the advanced R&D and technical work they need to stay competitive. Americans work for these companies, too, of course, but their numbers don’t come close to meeting the industry’s needs.
Last year, the Semiconductor Industry Association and Oxford Economics released a study showing that the US is facing a projected shortfall of 67,000 of these specialty workers in the semiconductor industry by 2030, and a gap of 1.4 million such workers throughout the broader US economy.
But the H-1B program has its problems. It is a company-sponsored visa that is typically valid for three years and extendable to six.
