Some tech industry executives are pushing the new Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers other nations.

The heart of the argument is that for America to remain competitive, the country must increase the number of skilled visas it issues.

The previous Trump administration did not expand the skilled visa program, but instead cracked down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates.

Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former employees of the IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class action lawsuit That said, the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. Bloomberg survey found that Cognizant and other similar outsourcing companies were primarily using their skilled work visas for lower-level positions.

Workers claimed that Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept impractical or less beneficial assignments.

Question: Should the United States increase its immigration levels for high-skilled workers?

Economists

Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Politics and Global Strategy

YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. It makes sense to seek talent from 8 billion people around the world instead of 330 million here. Nearly half of our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Their growth also relies on the increase in our qualified workforce. The cap on skilled worker visas has remained virtually unchanged since the beginning of the computer age. With AI on the horizon, it is more important than ever to attract and develop talent.

Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Economic Research Institute

YES: After years in which millions of undocumented immigrants were openly allowed into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing the number of people with in-demand skills? Undocumented immigration has a significant impact on lower-skilled jobs and wages, competing with domestic workers at all skill levels. Why should special prosecutions be brought against those with higher skills? Couldn’t they just cross the border on foot anyway, why make it more inconvenient for those with the skills they’re looking for?

James Hamilton, University of California San Diego

YES: Knowledge and technology are the main drivers of the American economy. Students come from around the world to study at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. High-skilled immigrants contribute far more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills that immigrants bring to America can make us all better off.

Norm Miller, University of San Diego

YES: According to Forbes, the majority of multibillion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD, and a few other schools, and 75% of them are foreigners. There simply aren’t enough American graduates to fill the AI ​​and data mining jobs that are currently exploding in the United States. If we want to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay.

David Ely, San Diego State University

YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger candidate pool would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. businesses by increasing their ability to conduct research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other countries who cannot remain in the United States will find jobs with foreign competitors. Demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating the need for changes to this program.

Leaders

Phil Blair, Labor

YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to develop its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunities these workers provide to our employers who need these skills. This should be incorporated into our immigration policies, allowing both short-term and long-term visas.

Gary London, London Moeder Advisors

YES: San Diego is a great example of how highly skilled workers from around the world enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course, visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Couple visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university are encouraged, or even required, to work in the United States in exchange for their admission.

Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch and Associates

NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care, and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and depress wages in certain sectors. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We must balance the need for specialist skills with the impact on the national workforce. I believe we can start increasing the number of visas after careful consideration of the abuses.

Austin Neudecker, Growth of Weaving

YES: We should expand skilled visas to spur innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform highly skilled work in labor-constrained sectors or who are graduates of respected universities and hold relevant degrees should be given priority for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research and much more. Despite the hateful speeches and visa rollbacks during the first term, I hope the new administration can be persuaded to make positive changes to a clearly flawed system.

Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health

YES: But this should be based on need, not politics. Several sectors are experiencing or could experience a shortage of skilled labor, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and planned. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been partially filled by trained and competent nurses from other countries. The shortage of doctors is expected to worsen in the coming years. So this visa program may very well be necessary.

Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere

NO: Although skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the United States should prioritize developing its domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive sectors or government-related work, particularly in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand areas, coupled with investments in national STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while building the long-term STEM capabilities of the U.S. workforce.

Do not participate this week:

Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, Economist

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