The Curse of the H1-B Visa Program

In what some see as an encouraging sign, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011, H.R. 3012, was introduced in September and passed in November. The bill, sponsored by Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), would eliminate the per-country limit on employment-based immigrants. That should allow employees from countries like India and China to more quickly move through the application process to receive green cards, Irisari says.

Streamlining employment-based immigration has become increasingly critical. In the past, highly skilled, foreign-born workers were more willing to wade through the voluminous red tape of the U.S. immigration process. Today, they can choose from a growing number of attractive labor markets. "We're competing worldwide," for talent, Irisari says. "We never want not to have the best and brightest in the U.S."