Silicon Valley pushes for H1B visas

Reflecting the mood of the Silicon Valley, prominent media outlets from California have come out openly in support of the H-1B work visas and opposed increasing the "hire Americans" call in the United States.

"The H-1B program is good for California and good for the country," wrote San Francisco Chronicle in an editorial today.Speaking out against the provision of the stimulus bill that blocks H-1B hiring by companies, which have received federal money, the newspaper asked the two Californian Senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, to work towards reversing this provision.

"This is more than just a political debate," it argued. "The H-1B program, though small in relative numbers (new H-1B visa holders represent just 7 out of every 10,000 workers in the United States, according to the National Foundation for American Policy), has real impacts on our economy and our society," the newspaper said.

"Foreign students and workers who might prefer to stay in the US can, and increasingly will, return to their home countries to launch businesses. They can then compete with American companies instead of adding value to them. And when they return home, they can honestly say that America is not the land of opportunity for people like them," it said.