By Chaston Pfingston, Carnegie Mellon University
The current work visa system in the United States leaves businesses unable to recruit their desired and oftentimes necessary workers. In a recent survey of US companies, 59 percent say the current system’s restrictions constrain their employees’ career opportunities and make it harder to hire the best candidates; 78 percent say that H-1B visa limitations are one of their biggest problems with the immigration system; and 55 percent do not feel equipped to sufficiently handle their immigration problems. To address these concerns, the United States should consider devolving its temporary nonimmigrant work visa program to the states— issuing state-specific visas that would permit employees to work anywhere within the state to which they were accepted.
