High Skills Immigration a National Security Issue.

• Author: Lewis, Mark
• Position: EMERGING TECHNOLOGY HORIZONS

One of the great strengths of America's science and engineering enterprise has been that the best and brightest minds from around the world come to our shores, attracted by the opportunities and spirit of innovation that are the hallmarks of a free society.

Some of the foremost minds in the history of defense science and technology have come from foreign lands, and their contributions to national security are indisputable.

This tradition continues today.

Of the 50 most promising artificial intelligence startup companies identified recently by Forbes, two-thirds had at least one immigrant founder--roughly three-quarters of whom first came to the United States on student visas.

In a global economy, the ability to attract and retain that top talent is critical for a nation's competitiveness. Given that the United States accounts for only about 4 percent of the world's population, it stands to reason that there are many smart people in other parts of the world who can contribute to the nation.

Though we are still the destination of choice for foreign nationals seeking higher education--U.S. universities attract more international students than any other nation--an outdated and cumbersome immigration system limits the ability to retain that talent after graduation.

The U.S. immigration system has not kept pace with the changing needs of the economy and national security. Due to a limited number of available visas and slow-moving bureaucracy, it can take years or decades for highly skilled immigrants to obtain permanent resident status--a "green card."

Meanwhile, as we push to onshore key industries, the U.S. defense industrial base faces a critical shortage of high-skilled labor in key areas, with more than 80 percent of defense companies reporting difficulty in finding qualified science, technology, engineering and math workers. Given this workforce gap, the need for high-skilled foreign talent is particularly acute.

To be able to develop and maintain complex systems, the Defense Department and the companies that support it, are in need of workers with advanced technical education and skills.

As Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said, "talent is vital" to national defense. However, the immigration system inhibits hiring managers' ability to access a large chunk of the robust technical talent pool created by U.S. universities, namely foreign-born U.S. degree recipients.

International students account for roughly 40 percent of STEM PhDs...