The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of advanced technology communications networks, has announced its support for the Immigration Innovation (I2) Act of 2013, which will increase H1B Visas and the allotment of employment-based green cards.

In a letter to U.S. Senators Hatch, Rubio, Klobuchar and Coons, TIA president Grant Seiffert wrote, “Our companies strongly support efforts to improve the U.S. research ecosystem, including efforts to permit foreign Ph.D. and Masters graduates from U.S. universities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to remain in the United States."

Seiffert continued, "In addition, we support efforts to increase the allotment of H-1B visas and to improve STEM education efforts in the United States.”

More coverage: TIA applauds Congress for extending R&D tax credit

The full text of the letter (redacted) is as follows:

January 28, 2013

The Honorable Orrin Hatch
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
The Honorable Chris Coons
The Honorable Marco Rubio

United States Senate

Dear Senators Hatch, Klobuchar, Coons, and Rubio:

On behalf of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), I am writing to applaud your leadership in introducing the “Immigration Innovation Act of 2013.”

TIA is a leading trade association for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, with over 500 member companies that manufacture or supply the products and services used in global communications. Our companies strongly support efforts to improve the U.S. research ecosystem, including through efforts to permit foreign Ph. D. and Masters graduates from U.S. universities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to remain in the United States. In addition, we support your efforts to increase the allotment of H-1B visas and to improve STEM education efforts in the United States.

Thank you again for your efforts. TIA appreciates your strong bipartisan commitment to and leadership on this legislation and we look forward to working with you to enact these important reforms this year.

Sincerely,
Grant Seiffert
President

The full letter is available here.

See also: TIA calls on President Obama for renewed telecom focus