WASHINGTON (11 October 2007) — Two organizations often at odds on immigration issues — notably H-1B visas — have joined forces to urge swift congressional action to ease retention of highly skilled immigrants. In a joint letter to key Senate and House leaders, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA (IEEE-USA) urged passage of measures to ease the hiring of foreign- born scientists and engineers and other proposals to enhance the global competitiveness of the U.S. high-tech sector.

The letter, signed by SIA President George Scalise and IEEE-USA President John Meredith, reads in part, "Both IEEE-USA and SIA see the retention of highly educated immigrants as part of a broader competitiveness and innovation initiative that includes a doubling of federal investment in research in the physical sciences, improvements in science, technology, engineering and math education at the K-12 and undergraduate levels, and enactment of a permanent and strengthened R&D tax credit."

See the letter at www.ieeeusa.org/policy/policy/2007/101107.pdf.

About SIA

The SIA is the leading voice for the semiconductor industry and has represented U.S. semiconductor companies since 1977. Collectively, the chip industry employs a domestic workforce of 232,000 people. More information about the SIA can be found at www.sia-online.org.

About IEEE-USA

IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of more than 215,000 engineers, scientists and allied professionals who are U.S. members of the IEEE. IEEE-USA is part of the IEEE, the world's largest technical professional society with 370,000 members in 160 countries. See www.ieeeusa.org.

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