Microsoft is the latest in a long line of companies, individuals, employment-based immigration attorneys and interest groups asking for immigration reform. On Tuesday, July 26th, Microsoft's general counsel, Brad Smith, testified before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security. His message was simple: companies looking for highly-skilled employees continue to have trouble finding top talent to fill jobs, even in this economy.
In a report to the subcommittee, he wrote that it took Microsoft an average of 65 days to fill some of its vital technology positions because the skill simply was not available. "We need to be able to attract - and have adequate access to - skilled workers from abroad," he wrote.