The Curse of the H1-B Visa Program

Lots to Fix

So, what all needs to be corrected

For one thing, the permanent immigration system.

While the H1-B program may have served a useful purpose at one time, critics say it suffers from numerous structural flaws. For starters, their temporary nature limits the H1-B's usefulness to companies trying to attract top talent, says Patrick Wilson, director of government affairs with the Semiconductor Industry Association. "You don't go after top talent for a couple of years," Wilson says. "You want to make them a permanent part of the workforce. These are real game-changing players."

But the permanent immigration system has grown so mindbogglingly backlogged -- a highly skilled Indian national could wait up to 70 years to receive a green card, according to an October report by the National Foundation for American Policy, a public policy research group -- that the H1-B has become the method of choice among employers who really want permanent workers.