NEWS CONTACTS: Eric Thomas or Frances Cox (202) 822-9491 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 6, 2005

Eighty Percent of Advanced Degree H-1Bs Gone By The Second Month of FY06

Washington, D.C. - The latest count on H-1B advanced degree visa usage further confirms the likelihood that these visas, critical to accessing valuable talent from around the world, will run out before the end of the fiscal year. This is more bad news for U.S. employers who have been unable to access needed talent since August when the overall FY2006 H-1B cap (65,000) was exhausted, almost two months prior to the start of the fiscal year, an unprecedented speed.

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), who released the numbers, fewer than 4,000 of the 20,000 advanced degree visas are left for use in fiscal year 2006. Once the advanced degree cap is reached, U.S. employers will have to wait until the start of the next fiscal year - more than nine months from now - to hire the world's best minds.

"The use of H-1B visas this year is evidence of employers' demand for foreign talent and a sign of America's strong economy," said Sandra Boyd, Vice President, National Association of Manufacturers and Compete America Chair. "Some of the world's best talent is educated here in the United States, and H-1B advanced degree visas help us to retain that talent, grow our innovation and remain the world technological leader in an increasingly competitive global marketplace."

Legislation currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress would provide a short-term solution to this crisis-level shortage of H-1B visas by making additional visas available. Comprehensive, longer-term immigration reform, though, is critical to sustained U.S. economic growth. "While we applaud the Senate for its recent passage of short-term visa relief in the reconciliation bill, we need a long-term fix," explained Lynn Shotwell, Executive Director of the American Council on International Personnel. "A market-based cap or cap exemptions for certain foreign workers with advanced degrees from U.S. universities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math must be supported. These problems will not go away. Congress must act to address long-term concerns through comprehensive reform."

Compete America is a coalition of over 200 corporations, universities, research institutions and trade associations concerned about legal, employment-based immigration and committed to ensuring that the United States has the capacity to acquire the talent necessary for continued innovation and expansion in a worldwide economy. For further information, go to www.competeamerica.org.

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