NEWS CONTACTS: Eric Thomas or Frances Cox (202) 822-9491 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 15, 2006

President’s Annual Economic Report Highlights Importance of Highly Educated Workers to U.S. Economy

Compete America Encouraged by President’s Continued Support for Visa Reform for Highly Educated Foreign Nationals

Washington, D.C. - Compete America applauded the President’s Economic Report for acknowledging the importance of highly educated foreign workers to American competitiveness. The annual report to Congress builds on the President’s call to reform immigration laws impacting highly educated workers as part of his American Competitiveness Initiative, which he announced in the State of the Union address.

“President Bush has shown that he understands the importance of highly educated foreign workers to a strong and vibrant economy,” said Sandra Boyd, National Association of Manufacturers Human Resources Policy Vice President and Compete America Chair.

Compete America has long believed that a secure and efficient immigration system that welcomes highly educated professionals to the United States is fundamental to America’s continued economic strength. The report specifically highlights, among other economic policies that can contribute to the future of U.S. competitiveness, those that “welcome the world’s ‘best and brightest.’”

“American immigration law must recognize that highly educated foreign nationals contribute to America’s economic success and create high-paying jobs in America,” Boyd continued. “Reforming the visa process for highly educated foreign workers is critical to the continued competitiveness of our nation, and we urge Congress to follow the President’s lead and enact much-needed reforms to both the H-1B visa and employment-based green card programs.”

H-1B visas allow employers to have access to highly educated foreign professionals who have unique experience in specialized areas and who have at least a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. Many of these foreign nationals, more than half of whom have advanced degrees often from U.S. universities, are employed in scientific research, medicine, technology and education. Under current law the program is capped at 65,000, with an added exemption for 20,000 foreign nationals earning advanced degrees from U.S. universities.

The employment-based green card process is plagued by extensive administrative delays that hold tens of thousands of highly educated applicants and their families in legal and professional limbo for years.

Both the temporary and permanent employment-based programs have artificially low caps and large backlogs, which make it difficult for U.S. employers to attract and keep the talent they need from around the world.

A copy of the complete economic report can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/cea/pubs.html.

Compete America (www.competeamerica.org) is a coalition of more than 200 corporations, universities, research institutions and trade associations concerned about legal, employment-based immigration and committed to ensuring that the United States has the highly educated workforce necessary to ensure continued innovation, job creation and leadership in a worldwide economy.

###