High-Skilled Immigration Policy and Tech Industry Concerns

Tech companies urgently need clear immigration policies to attract high-skilled talent and maintain global competitiveness.

### The Future of High-Skilled Immigration Policy in the U.S. Tech Industry
* 🇺🇸  The tech industry is eagerly seeking clarity on the next administration's high-skilled immigration policy, with a heavy reliance on visas like the **H-1B visa**.
* 🔍  Companies are looking for a policy that reflects a 21st-century economy, as **demand for STEM skills still outweighs supply**.
* 👩‍💼  Vice President Harris is expected to continue President Biden's approach, which has involved **rolling back Trump-era policies**.
* 📝  The current H-1B visa process is not as difficult as it was during the Trump administration, but concerns remain about **potential deterrents for high-skilled talent**.
* 🌐  While the H-1B visa is the most frequently leveraged employer-sponsored visa, there are other routes like the **L1 visa for contributing to the U.S. economy**.
* 🌍  It's crucial to have immigration policies that **encourage global talent to come to the U.S. and innovate**, to ensure that **future tech giants are American companies**.

I ask you, Dave? Will we get much clarity? Do you need more clarity from the position of the immigration from the Democratic ticket? So I think that the companies that operate in the tech industry, as well as the AI industry semiconductor, are basically any industry in which the United States wants to be a global leader and continue to dominate. They're definitely looking for a lot more clarity when it comes to what the next president's policy is going to be with respect to high-skilled immigration. And the reason that this is so important for companies, particularly in the tech sector, is because there is a heavy reliance on visas like the H-1B visa, because when it comes to employees who have the necessary STEM skills that these companies are looking for, demand still very much outweighs supply. And so whoever the next president is going to be, it's really, really important to point out that what we really need for the success of the tech

industry and other industries is an immigration policy that actually reflects a 21st-century economy. But former President Trump actually gave some detail on how he'd approach visas, particularly those originating from students of US universities on the All in podcast. And then he discussed it with Bloomberg and in July as well. Have you had any detail or sense from the Harris ticket on a specific approach to technology, relevant visas? So what we know about Vice President Harris is that she definitely has close ties to the tech industry. There were 200 tech leaders who came out and endorsed her publicly. Now, as you mentioned, the DNC is right around the corner. So we're definitely going to learn a lot more here in the next few days. But you know what? What most people are expecting of Vice President Harris is that she's going to continue President Biden's approach to high-skilled immigration. And President Biden's approach has been in large part locking back Trump-era policy.

I wondered if we could sort of take a bipartisan look at the mechanics of getting a visa and a federal administration of visas. I got my first visa in 2018 under the Trump administration and had to renew it in the chaos of COVID. But how easy procedurally is it now in this day state, right this moment to get an H-1B? So, it's not necessarily as difficult as it was during the Trump administration. The experience that a lot of immigration practitioners had during the Trump administration was that the process was a lot longer and it felt somewhat inefficient. I think that that's why it's really important to watch what the results of this election are going to be, because some of the concerns that the companies have experienced, whether or not policy pertaining to H-1B visas and other policies surrounding high-skilled immigration are actually going to act as a deterrent and discourage high-skilled

talent from coming to the United States and making the United States their home. And if that happens, then companies are going to run into issues in terms of whether they can remain competitive because they may not necessarily be able to hire the best and brightest from around the world. And perhaps we see what occurred back in the previous administration where Canada suddenly got a lot of high skill, perhaps, versus the United States. What about other types of visas? We all focus in so much on H-1B, but I came in 2018 on an L1. I mean, how many other routes are there to be and contribute to the US economy? I think that there are several other routes, but the eligibility standards are a little bit more controlled and restricted, and that's why the H-1B visa is so important. It's the type of visa that a lot more people could potentially be eligible for. And as a result, it's the most

frequently leveraged employer-sponsored visa by several industries, including the tech industry. And so with respect to policy, when it comes to high-skilled immigration rules policy surrounding H-1B visas, it's definitely going to be top of mind. But it's really important to continue to have immigration policy that actually encourages talent to come to the United States and innovate, because the next time somebody finds the next Google or the next Tesla, we still want that to be an American company.

The Importance of H-1B Visas for the Tech World

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Clarity on High-Skilled Immigration Policy

Tech and AI companies are seeking clarity on the next president's high-skilled immigration policy, crucial for their success.

The demand for STEM-skilled employees significantly outweighs supply, making visas like the H-1B vital.

Vice President Harris, with close ties to the tech industry, is expected to continue President Biden's approach to high-skilled immigration, reversing Trump-era policies.

The Current State of H-1B Visas and Immigration

The process of obtaining an H-1B visa has improved since the Trump administration, which was marked by longer and inefficient procedures.

The outcome of the upcoming election may impact high-skilled immigration policies, potentially deterring talent from coming to the U.

The H-1B visa is crucial due to its broader eligibility, but there are other visa routes available, albeit with more controlled and restricted standards.

The Importance of H-1B Visas for High-Skilled Immigration

H-1B visas are frequently used by various industries, especially tech, to attract talent.

Immigration policy should encourage skilled workers to come to the U.

The goal is to ensure that future groundbreaking companies, like the next Google or Tesla, remain American.