A coalition crafted by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce will prod Congress this week to amend visa and green card limitations that prevent skilled immigrant workers, graduates and entrepreneurs from landing jobs stateside and from spurring U.S. economic growth.
“Business for Skilled Worker Immigration,” which is comprised of 37 chambers of commerce from 21 states, will mail out an introductory letter to policymakers to build support for three proposals designed to reform portions of U.S. immigration law.
“Our driving principle is that U.S. immigration policy has proven inadequate to address the needs of companies competing in a globalized 21st century economy,” said Tim Sweeney, the Greater Boston Chamber’s senior director of government affairs. “This is an ideal opportunity to promote reforms that will help to improve this nation’s access to top international talent.”
The coalition’s proposals include making more temporary, skilled worker H-1B visas and green cards for science graduates available; and creating startup visas for immigrant entrepreneurs who launch businesses in the United States.
Sweeney said skilled immigrant workers are crucial to Bay State life sciences, health care and engineering firms.
“(Massachusetts) would absolutely stand to benefit disproportionately from the enactment of the provisions based on the mix of industries we have here, the knowledge-based economy we have, the colleges and universities that drive our talent pool and our active and vibrant startup community,” he said.
H-1B visas, with the exception of 2001 to 2003, have annual caps, which in certain years have been filled on the first day they become available because of demand, Sweeney said. Green card applicants also can face several years of waiting because of backlogs.
He added that seven countries — the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, Chile, Brazil, Australia and Singapore — have adopted laws to attract entrepreneurs from around the world over the past 18 months.
Last week, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators also called for reforming the legal immigration system whereby immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering or math from an American university can be awarded green cards. President Obama, meanwhile, said he supports the creation of a “startup visa.”
Both camps also are looking to strengthen border security; crack down on employers hiring undocumented workers and have illegal immigrants “earn” citizenship before being eligible for provisional legal status.
Carolyn Mikula, an Everett-based immigration attorney, said the time for reform is “now.”
“So many of them want to work, want to pay their taxes,” she said. “Even on the other side of the spectrum with clients I have that are not skilled, so many of them are such hard workers and pay their taxes, even though they drive to work terrified they’re going to get pulled over and picked up by ICE.”
Mikula called the Greater Boston Chamber coalition’s proposals “valid and worthwhile” measures.
“I’m from Pittsburgh — look at Andrew Carnegie. He was an immigrant,” she said. “So much of this country was built on immigration and it should be.”