U.S. immigration policy irrational when U.S.-born physicians in short supply

"Thanks to the nation's dysfunctional immigration system and the dysfunctional Congress that keeps it that way, tens of thousands of promising, intelligent, ambitious and highly skilled foreign professionals ... will be denied a chance to contribute their expertise and energy to the American economy," a Washington Post editorial states.

The editorial adds, "Few policies match this one in terms of sheer irrationality, and few will do as much damage to this country's long-term prospects and competitiveness."

According to the Post, "Although the United States welcomes unlimited numbers of foreign students and subsidizes their education in ... medicine and other disciplines, those students face increasingly steep obstacles to employment here," as do "educated foreign workers whose skills are needed in the American work force." While the number of applications the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received in April was one-third higher than last year -- "and shows no sign of abating" -- the agency "was so swamped it stopped accepting applicants after just five days," leaving qualified applications to be "selected at random by computer lottery," according to the editorial.

"All of that might seem fine and fair were it not for the fact that American-born scientists" and physicians "are in short supply," as well as workers in other professions. The editorial continues, "The truth is, America will be a feebler place without a continuing and adequate flow of foreign-born brainpower," adding, "America's loss of foreign-born experts translates directly into gains for China, India and other rapidly developing competitors" (Washington Post, 6/4).