Bill Gates has been fighting an uphill battle before Congress for some time concerning the expansion of the number of H-1B visas allotted in the U.S.
In what may be his final appearance before the lawmakers before leaving Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), Gates once more passionately appealed for a change in policy.
At this time there are only 65,000 H-1B visas allocated to foreign, professional workers in the U.S. The last time they were offered, the quota was filled on the first day they were made available.
Gates added that the vast majority of students enrolled in computer science at top universities are born outside the U.S. "We educate them -- we provide the world's very best education," Gates said. "[But] those are the students who are not allowed to stay and work in the country because of the limits we have."
"Our higher education system doesn't produce enough top scientists and engineers to meet the need of the U.S. economy," Gates added. He's referring to those born in the U.S.
Using Microsoft as a case study, Gates said for every employee where this type of job is created, four more jobs are added to support them.
Besides his call for more highly-skilled immigrants to be allowed in the country, he also called for more tax breaks for research and development spending and an increase in federal funding of math and science education.
In reference to free trade, Gates said for Microsoft, the opening of markets have been critical to the expanding of sales of the company, as most the company sales are now outside the U.S. He asserts Americans need to be taught what the benefit of free trade agreements bring to everyone.
One uninformed California politician, Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, accused Microsoft and other companies of wanting an increase of H-1B visas in order to get cheaper labor. His answer was that to companies are "you'd have to raise wages."
That's the typical response of politicians that don't understand business or economics. On one hand they cry about outsourcing, then when people that know what's going on show them ways around it, they put their hands over their ears and spew out the same ignorance.
What part of shortage of workers don't they understand? Don't they do their homework on this vital issue? It's already proven that in this area American students are far down the ladder of science and technology in developed countries.
It's strange to hear this type of response to great paying jobs, and not much said about illegal immigrants from the south who actually to take away jobs and a tremendous amount of resources from the American people.
Related Stories
Microsoft's Gates wants more professional visas
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates asked Congress on Wednesday for more visas for skilled professionals, echoing arguments often made by many in the tech sector.
Gates told the U.S. House of Representatives' Science and Technology Committee that the 65,000 H-1B visas allotted for professional workers annually was inadequate, pointing out the 2007 quota was filled on the first day they became available.
=====
Bill Gates Talks Technology on Capitol Hill
Can America stay on top when it comes to technology and innovation? Not without change in education and immigration, Bill Gates told Congress Wednesday.
Appearing before the House Committee on Science and Technology, the Microsoft chairman stressed the urgency of implementing innovation-friendly policies in the United States.
=====
Microsoft's Gates Advises Congress on U.S. Competitiveness
Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates once again urged U.S. lawmakers to have a more open policy toward highly trained immigrants, and reiterated several other measures he believes will ensure the U.S. remains a competitive global force.
=====
Gates: U.S. puts tech jobs at risk by capping foreign workers
The 65,000 H-1B cap is arbitrary, Gates said, and "bears no relation to the U.S. economy's demand for skilled professionals." He said that, overall, Microsoft was unable to obtain H-1B visas for one-third of the highly qualified foreign-born candidates that it wanted to hire.
=====
Gates repeats request for more H-1B visas
The Microsoft chairman says that the current H-1B limits are driving away the world's best engineers and scientists
The United States is driving away the world's best engineers and computer scientists by putting limits on H-1B visas and other immigrant worker programs, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told U.S. lawmakers Wednesday.
Gates repeated his past calls for more H-1B visas, the controversial program used by technology and other companies to hire foreign workers for up to six years. More than half of the students in computer science programs at top U.S. universities are from other countries, but a limit on H-1Bs means many of those students can't stay in the United States after they graduate, Gates told the House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee.
Comment Preview