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Senate Commission Hears From High Tech Sector On Immigration

Senate Commission Hears From High Tech Sector On Immigration
Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee heard from immigration reform proponents in the agriculture and technology industries Monday in Washington.

Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee heard from immigration reform proponents in the agriculture and technology industries Monday in Washington.

Industry leaders are backing a segment of the Senate written reform bill that will nearly double the annual cap on specialized workers from foreign countries.

Brad Smith is with the Microsoft Corporation. He said tech companies in the U.S. cannot fill all the jobs being created and so need to hire from outside the country.

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"Unfortunately the situation is likely to get worse rather than better," he said.

Smith told the Senate this year the U.S. will only be able to fill 51,000 new computer science based jobs out of 120,000.

The bipartisan senate proposal could nearly triple the ceiling on skilled visa workers to 180,000 per year.

A big decision awaits some voters this April as the race for San Diego County’s Supervisor District 1 seat heats up. Are you ready to vote? Check out the KPBS Voter Hub to learn about the candidates, the key issues the board is facing and how you can make your voice heard.