The Takeaway: The war over H-1Bs heats up

13.07.2015
Microsoft is among the companies supporting a bill in Congress that would, among other things, raise the limit on H-1B visas from 65,000 to 195,000 and eliminate a cap on people who get an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). The company has also talked about a "skills gap" in the U.S. that makes raising the cap H-1B visa workers important.

So when Microsoft announced layoffs last week, opponents of the "I-Squared" bill quickly weighed in. As Sen. Jeff Sessions, (R-Ala.), noted, the Microsoft cuts show "there is a surplus -- not a shortage of skilled, talented and qualified Americans seeking STEM employment."

Sessions is chairman of the Senate's Immigration Subcommittee and his criticism of Microsoft was aimed as much at the company as at Senate supporters of the I-Squared bill. Among those supporters: Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican now seeking the GOP presidential nomination.

Here's how the fight over the H-1B program is playing out politically:

Although the I-Squared bill seems to have little traction at the moment, opponents fear that powerful backers like Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch might still could find a roundabout way to move the measure forward. Hatch serves in a top Senate leadership post.

With reports by Patrick Thibodeau at Computerworld.

(www.cio.com)

Ken Mingis

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