The United States should remove visa limits to allow more skilled foreign citizens to work at U.S. companies if it wants to remain a leader in technology, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said on Wednesday. Microsoft is having a hard time finding skilled workers within the United States, and the lack of H-1B visas for skilled workers is only making the situation worse, Gates said in a panel discussion at the Library of Congress.
"The whole idea of the H-1B visa thing is, don"t let too many smart people come into the country. The whole thing doesn"t make sense," Gates said. Gates echoed the concerns of other business and education leaders who warn that the United States must improve science education and boost spending on research and development to avoid falling behind India, China and other countries that are rapidly gaining ground.