Dave McCurdy, President and CEO of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), today thanked Senator John Cornyn for his leadership in introducing S. 2691, the Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership (SKIL) Act of 2006, and for convening a hearing today on U.S. visa policy.

"The best way to promote economic growth and continue creating high-paying jobs is to ensure that the U.S. remains the home to innovation and the technologies of the future," said McCurdy. "The SKIL bill introduced by Senator Cornyn brings much-needed reform to a wrong-headed visa policy that discourages investment and innovation in the U.S. The member companies of EIA want to thank Senator Cornyn for introducing this important legislation, and for convening this hearing to examine the problems in the existing system."

"Employment based visa programs have brought us tremendous foreign talent that has helped spur American innovation, grown our economy and made the United States more competitive throughout the world. As Congress addresses the problems of the current immigration system, it should focus on ensuring access to highly skilled workers who create jobs and prosperity in the United States."

The SKIL Bill (Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership) provides exemptions for U.S. educated foreign workers with master's or higher degrees from the H-1B and EB green card quotas; it creates a flexible and market-based H-1B market cap so that U.S. employers are not locked out of hiring the best people for a year at a time; it extends from 12 to 24 months a student's post-curricular optional practical training so that they can more easily obtain a green card; and it provides exemptions for EB green cards for immigrant spouses and children from the annual cap, making more visas available to even more highly educated workers.

Contact Name: Larry Farnsworth
Contact Email: lfarnsworth@crosbyvolmer.com