Legislation and Policy Initiatives

In the 109th Congress, Compete America endorsed the SKIL – Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership – Bill, which was introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate (H.R. 5744; S. 2691). The SKIL Bill would have provided a remedy for both the H-1B and EB green card crises.  Among its provisions were:

• Exemptions for U.S. educated foreign workers with advanced degrees in math, science, technology and engineering fields from the H-1B and EB quotas so their talent can be retained in the United States.

• Creation of a flexible, market-based H-1B cap so that U.S. employers are not locked out of hiring critical talent.

• Extension of foreign students’ post curricular optional practical training from 12 months to 24 months to allow them to go more easily from student to green card.

• Exemptions for EB/green card immigrant spouses and children from the annual cap, thus making more visas available for the professionals we need.

The Senate passed all provisions contained in the SKIL Bill as part of comprehensive immigration reform.  The bill, however, never passed the House and was not enacted into law. 

For an archive of this and other legislative activity from the 109th Congress, click here.

In the 110th Congress, Compete America will continue to urge reforms that:

• Ensure that U.S. employers and universities have the ability to recruit and retain highly educated foreign-born talent;

• Fix the extensive EB green card processing backlogs; and

• Reform outdated caps on H-1B visas that currently prevent U.S. employers from hiring H-1B workers until October 2007.

The House Democrats’ Innovation Agenda supports increased access to top international talent.  Click here to learn more.

Bill Gates Testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, March 7, 2007