Abstract: | Last week Congress rushed through an immigration bill that gives a big boost to education programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF). The measure, which almost doubles the number of skilled foreign workers eligible for high-tech U.S. jobs under so-called temporary H1-B visas, marks a hard-fought victory for high-tech companies scrambling for talent. In addition, it provides more than $100 million to help NSF tackle what policy-makers say is the real problem: the need for more homegrown scientists and engineers. |