American Immigration Policies Hurting Technology Industry?

George Will, of the Washington Post, brought up an odd issue this week. The idea that immigration policy in the United States is stiffling our dominance in technology. As we lose manufacturing of our products like an lcd mount to foreign factories who produce at lower costs, we may also be chasing away some of the brightest minds that have graduated from our universities as well.

Geroge Will says that policy makers should look into this ASAP. That we are losing some of the brightest minds of the world just because we aren't allowing them to stay. Seems astounding considering that we tend to cater to uneducated, and manual labor immigrants doesn't it?

As soon as U.S. institutions of higher education have awarded you a PhD, equipping you to add vast value to the economy, get out. Go home. Or to Europe, which is responding to America's folly with "blue cards" to expedite acceptance of the immigrants America is spurning.

Two-thirds of doctoral candidates in science and engineering in U.S. universities are foreign-born. But only 140,000 employment-based green cards are available annually, and 1 million educated professionals are waiting -- often five or more years -- for cards. Congress could quickly add a zero to the number available, thereby boosting the U.S. economy and complicating matters for America's competitors.

This is a great article. It talks about Obama and McCain as well and unlike most articles that complain about these things, Will actually gives some suggestions as to what wuould work.