America's Cap on Foreign Skilled Labor
The U.S., more specifically the United States Citizenship and Immigrations Service, only allows for 65,000 H-1B visas to be given away every year. An H-1B visa is a temporary work visa which allows U.S. companies and government agencies to capitalize on the skills and knowledge of foreign workers, many of which have been educated in the United States. Since 1997, the 65,000 H-1B visa quota has been met every year but three. And strangely enough, the H-1B visa cap has been getting smaller and smaller over the years. In 2008, the House Republican Study Commission petitioned Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to increase the cap from 65,000 per year to 115,000 per year, to no avail. Also in 2008, the quota was met on April 2, the first day that applications were accepted. Silicon Valley, where demand for highly-skilled technicians, has complained that the lack of sufficient H-1B visas is the biggest limitation on the region's economic growth. Clearly demand is high both in and out of the U.S.

State of the Union Address
President Obama addressed the issue in his State of the Union address on Jan. 25, 2011. He said, "Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us. It makes no sense." This isn't the first time this exact sentiment has been expressed. Back in 2008, when the House Republican Study Commission sent their letter about H-1B visas to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the letter read, "As a country, we are effectively handing these highly-educated, extremely desirable individuals a diploma and a plane ticket. The message we are sending is 'you can learn here but you have to work in another country.'"

Restriction of H-1B Visas
Those who advocate the restriction of H-1B visas claim that companies only hire foreign nationals to obtain cheap labor, effectively taking well-paying jobs from American citizens. This is patently untrue considering the findings of a recent Government Accountability Office study showing that foreign workers generally make as much or more than their American citizen counterparts and that employers want to hire foreign workers for their skills, not the smaller wage they think they can get away with paying them. Furthermore, hiring a foreign worker is often more expensive to employers as they must sponsor their H-1B vise, which they often feel obligated to pay for and might even incur the cost of moving the individual into the country. It is in the best interest of the U.S. economy, and even the U.S. as a whole, to accept highly-skilled foreign labor into the country, as needed. As President Obama pointed out, if they don't work in the country, they become our competitors. It truly makes no sense. This is especially unfortunate if the U.S. educated these individuals. Immigrants have been the fuel for U.S. growth since the birth of the nation and, if we let them, they will continue to help the U.S. maintain its competitive edge in the global market.