Washington, D.C. — Compete America, a coalition of employers, universities and advocates for high skilled immigration, dedicated to ensuring that the United States has the highly educated workforce it needs to grow jobs in the US and lead the world in innovation, today endorsed the "Uniting American Families Act" (H.R. 1537, S. 821) as introduced by Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY) and Senator Patrick Leahy (VT).
This legislation would help employers attract and retain talented gay and lesbian employees by giving them the ability to sponsor their foreign-born, permanent partners for immigration to the United States. Without this new authority to sponsor their partners, talented US-based workers currently facing this situation may be forced to live separately from their partners or live outside the United States. This is unacceptable for employers and their employees and hurts America's competitiveness.
"American businesses want a flexible immigration system that accommodates the needs of our diverse workforce. International competition for talented workers is fierce, and America cannot afford to miss opportunities due to inconsistent immigration policies," said Scott Corley, Executive Director of Compete America. "We don't want to see our employees separated from their families. We want these skilled workers to be able to live here, where they can help grow our businesses and expand our economy. To do otherwise puts American employers at a disadvantage in recruiting top talent from around the world."
"The Uniting American Families Act is common sense legislation that would allow talented workers from around the world to sponsor their permanent partners for immigration. Not only will it ensure that U.S. workers can continue their careers here uninterrupted, but it will keep families together," said Corley.
The "Uniting American Families Act" has more than 130 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 23 cosponsors in the Senate.
To learn more about Compete America, visit www.competeamerica.org .
