Compete America members – representing industry, academia and the highly educated, foreign-born professionals stuck in the broken system themselves – testified at a recent Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing, each echoing the coalition’s long-advocated message that America needs an employment-based green card and visa system that promotes, not hinders, U.S. growth and competitiveness.

“Reform is long overdue, and postponing it only works against the national interest,” testified Brad Smith, General Counsel and Senior Vice President at Microsoft Corporation, a Compete America member company. “Microsoft especially appreciates the recognition that a new policy approach to attracting the world’s talent into our workforce is critical if we are to both keep and grow jobs in this country.”

“We need to create a streamlined green card process for international students who graduate with STEM degrees from U.S. universities. Applications for permanent residency from highly educated, foreign-born students who have earned advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics should be expedited for the good of the individual and our nation,” said Cornell University President David J. Skorton, who also testified today. Cornell is a member of the Association of American Universities, a Compete America member.

“Making our legal immigration system work for us will raise revenue, increase our productivity, create very good jobs and make us more competitive,” explained Robert Greifeld, CEO and President of NASDAQ OMX, in his testimony. NASDAQ OMX is a member of TechNet, a Compete America member association.

“With a serious commitment to reforming our employment-based green card system, I believe highly skilled immigrants can help America return to prosperity, creating jobs and growing our economy through innovation,” testified Immigration Voice Vice President Dr. Puneet S. Arora. Immigration Voice, a national grassroots non-profit organization of over 60,000 active highly skilled immigrants, is also a Compete America member.

Compete America, in a statement for the record, said, “…[T]he highly skilled immigration system shows great promise as a powerful tool in America’s economic recovery.  Beginning with [these] reforms …, we can unlock the potential of highly educated immigrants as entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators."

Click here to read the statement Compete America submitted for the record.