WASHINGTON (26 March 2001) – The Committee for Economic Development, a non-profit, non-partisan organization representing Fortune 500 business leaders and university presidents, issued a report, Reforming Immigration: Helping Meet America’s Need for a Skilled Workforce, at the National Press Club on March 21. The report concludes that the United States’ employment-based admissions programs, both permanent and temporary, are in desperate need of repair. Action is needed now if the U.S. it to meet continuing needs for skilled labor at a time when its domestic workforce is rapidly aging.

"If U.S. workers are unable to meet the increasing demand for high-tech positions, then we favor immigration policies that will help U.S. companies remain competitive in the global marketplace," said IEEE-USA Past President (1999) Paul Kostek, who served as a non-trusteed member of CED’s Immigration Subcommittee. "If we must bring in skilled foreign workers, we believe they should come to the U.S. as permanent residents rather than as ‘guest workers’ under H-1B and other temporary admissions programs.

"In short, IEEE-USA supports green cards, not guest workers."

While IEEE-USA agrees that our nation’s immigration system must be reformed, it continues to insist that immigration should be viewed as a supplement to – not a substitute for – concerted public and private effort to improve our nation’s technological capability. The latter can be accomplished through more effective education, training and life-long learning, and better management and utilization of American workers, including engineers and scientists.

"Although a more market-sensitive immigration system will contribute to a strong American economy," said Shelly Jones, co-chair of CED’s Immigration Subcommittee, "it cannot replace effective basic education and training as the main source of a skilled workforce."

IEEE-USA supports the CED’s recommendation to rationalize permanent, employment-based admissions by replacing time-consuming and ineffective labor certifications with an expedited attestation requirement, coupled with random audits to ensure compliance and strengthen accountability.

The CED report found that the up to 10-year wait for full approval of a permanent employee visa has resulted in a backlog of over 1 million "green card" applicants, while nearly half the annual allotment of these visas go unused. This has distorted the H-1B temporary visa system and made it a backdoor for foreign nationals seeking permanent admission. The CED recommends reducing the term of H-1B visas from six years to three and allowing the number of H-1B visas to respond flexibly to market forces.

"CED is to be congratulated for issuing such a comprehensive and objective analysis of a very controversial public-policy issue, and for formulating practical recommendations for changes in employment-based admissions programs," IEEE-USA President Ned Sauthoff said. "Given the credibility and objectivity of the CED, IEEE-USA strongly recommends that the report be used as a basis for bipartisan Congressional efforts – involving business, education, government, labor and professional organizations – to legislate needed reforms in America’s employment-based immigration system."