Indian Americans are calling on lawmakers to increased the number of skilled immigrants as a way to jump start the economy, reports the Economic Times.
“If you look at all the data, every single study that’s been done, it shows that when you bring skilled immigrants in they create jobs. Right now, we’re in an innovation economy. Skilled immigrants are more important than ever, not only to create jobs, but to make us innovative and help us solve major problems,” said Vivek Wadhwa, Director of Research, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University.
Wadhwa spoke at an immigration hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.
Indian Americans called for an increase in H-1B visas, removing country specific caps on permanent legal residency and automatic green cards for those getting master and doctorate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.
“We’re in the middle of a major reinvention. Our competitors are rising. Immigrants are fleeing. We have to fix the immediate problem of skilled immigrants, the million skilled immigrants legally here waiting for green cards. We don’t talk about them. We need to fix that ASAP, and we need to do the other things you’re talking about, without doubt. But we can’t wait on the million, because they’re leaving. And America is bleeding talent right now,” he said.
