TechNet Applauds Senator Cornyn for Introduction of Measure to Reform U.S. High-Skilled Immigration System

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- TechNet, the bipartisan policy and political network of technology CEOs that promotes the growth of the innovation economy, today applauded Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) for introduction the "Securing the Talent America Requires for the 21st Century" (STAR Act), a bill that would keep more highly skilled workers here in the United States. 

"We applaud Senator Cornyn for his great work to reform America's broken immigration system to help keep high skilled talent here in our nation," said Rey Ramsey, President and CEO of TechNet.  "Our institutions of higher learning today are training talented students from other lands in the STEM areas. It makes no sense that, because of our outdated immigration laws, we then force those future innovators to leave the country. They go home and apply the education gathered here to create new technologies and jobs in other places. This bill correctly recognizes that problem and takes important steps to remedy it.  One in five Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or children of immigrants – we are in a global battle for talent and need to update our laws to reflect that fact."

The SMART Jobs Act would eliminate the so-called "Diversity Visa" lottery program and instead reward those 55,000 immigrant visas to eligible graduate students who earn mater's and PhDs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from qualifying U.S. research institutions who have job offers in their related fields. It would also streamline STEM graduate students' ability to obtain U.S. green cards by allowing "dual-intent" for those admitted to pursue a STEM degree.

About TechNet:
TechNet is the national, bipartisan network of CEOs that promotes the growth of technology industries and the economy by building long-term relationships between technology leaders and policymakers and by advocating a targeted policy agenda. TechNet's members represent more than one million employees in the fields of information technology, biotechnology, e-commerce and finance. TechNet has offices in Washington, D.C., Palo Alto, Sacramento, Seattle, Boston and Austin. Web address: www.technet.org. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @technetupdate.

SOURCE TechNet