Hickenlooper, Cramer call on department of labor to streamline immigration process

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KRDO) -- United States Senators John Hickenlooper and Kevin Cramer sent a letter to Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su, urging the agency to simplify the process of hiring international talent to reduce workforce shortages in critical, high-skilled industries. U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Mike Rounds also signed onto the letter.

In their letter, the senators advocate for the use of the Schedule A Shortage Occupation list to streamline hiring international workers in high-demand industries, like STEM and health care. The Department of Labor has not updated the list to include more than two specific occupations -- professional nurses and physical therapists -- since 2005.

“For too long, unnecessary red tape has prevented skilled immigrants from helping us fill vacancies and maintain U.S. competitiveness in vital industries. Placing select high-demand occupations on the list would not only accelerate the filling of these vacancies, it would also ease the remaining volume of labor certifications your department must process.”

Line from Senators' letter to the Department of Labor

Current vacancies in STEM and healthcare occupations can undermine healthcare in rural communities and threats to our national security are expected to increase. More than one third of the 3.85 million positions expected to be created for computer scientists, engineers, and technicians by 2030 are predicted to go unfilled.

The letter has been endorsed by FWD.us, the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus, the National Immigration Forum, the Schedule A Coalition, and the Colorado Hospital Association.

Earlier this year, Hickenlooper and Cramer introduced the EAGLE Act to make it easier for American employers to hire immigrants to fill critical workforce gaps, regardless of their country of origin. The bill would phase out the seven percent per-country limit on family-sponsored visas to fifteen percent.

In August, Senator Hickenlooper introduced the bipartisan SEASONAL Act, which would permit governors to petition the federal government for supplemental H-2B visas beyond the national cap of 66,000.

View the full letter here and below.