The CTIHS -- which formally has combined its effort with the AAIHR -- was asked to become a signatory to Compete America's sign-on letter. The July 17 letter asks Congress to enact three pieces of legislation: H.R. 6039, H.R. 5921 and H.R. 5882.

As explained in the letter, the three bills will address many shortcomings in the EB green card system. For example:

- H.R. 6039, by exempting highly educated, foreign-born students earning an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics from a U.S. university from the annual EB green card limit, would help U.S. employers retain these talented individuals in the U.S. workforce. For example, foreign nationals comprise half of the master’s and 70 percent of the Ph.D.s in electrical engineering from U.S. universities.

- H.R. 5921 will help put an end to multi-year wait times by eliminating unduly restrictive per country limits on EB green cards.

- H.R. 5882 will help to reduce visa backlogs by “recapturing” EB green cards from prior years that went unused due to government processing delays and making them available immediately to those who meet the requirements.

These three bills, along with H.R. 5924, are all viable candidates for enactment this summer/fall. By partnering with Compete America, the CTIHS/AAIHR raises its profile. Members of Compete America include some of America's largest and most prestigious companies and organizations.