- Google wants the US to change immigration rules to help hire AI talent.
- The report told the U.S. Department of Labor that the list of roles considered to be in short supply needs to be expanded.
- The company says the need for AI roles will “significantly increase” in the coming years.
As the war on artificial intelligence intensifies, Google says immigration rules need to change to attract the talent the U.S. needs to stay ahead.
The search giant submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday advocating for changes to rules regarding jobs it believes are in short supply in the United States.
To obtain an employment-based green card, foreign-born employees often have to go through a process called Permanent Labor Certification (PERM). In this process, employers must claim that there is a shortage of workers in the United States to fill the position. role.
However, the U.S. Department of Labor has a list of “prequalification” occupations that are considered to be in short supply. The list also includes physical therapists and professional nurses, as well as immigrants with “extraordinary abilities” in the arts and sciences. If you fall into one of these roles, your route to a green card will be easier and faster.
Google argues that this list, known as Schedule A, must be expanded to include “critical” AI and cybersecurity-related areas. Google says the list was last updated in 2005, but needs to be updated more frequently to adapt to changing labor demands.
The company wrote that the department “originally intended Schedule A to be a tool to address labor shortages,” adding, “Having not been updated in 20 years, Schedule A does not reflect current labor shortages.” “I haven't,” he continued.
Of course, Google spends much of this letter highlighting the huge opportunity in AI and why it's important to adapt immigration rules accordingly.
Google said it “expects the need for AI engineer roles, including software engineers, research engineers, and research scientists, to increase significantly in the coming years.”
He then added, “Advances in AI offer incredible promise, but a shortage of skilled professionals threatens to prevent AI from realizing its full potential.”
The Department of Labor previously announced it was considering expanding the list of pre-qualified roles, specifically considering occupations in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, and was seeking input from businesses. Ta.
As nearly every technology company, including Google, reorganizes around AI, there's a fierce war to hire the best talent. Google says it needs to look overseas to fill this gap, arguing that there is a shortage of cybersecurity and AI talent in the United States.
For technology companies that have been laying off workers for the past two years, the hurdles to hiring employees with green cards have also become more difficult. Companies will need to prove that the fired employee is not suitable for the role given to the foreign worker. You will also need to notify recently terminated employees who may be suitable for the role before submitting a foreign worker PERM application.
As a result, companies have reduced their offers to enroll employees in U.S. green card courses. Amazon recently suspended new green card sponsorships until the end of 2024. Google also paused in January 2023 and told employees earlier this year that applications would not resume until the first quarter of 2025 at the earliest, said an employee with direct knowledge of the people involved. The matter was said.
Are you a current or former Google employee and have a tip? You can contact Hugh Langley through the encrypted messaging app signal and telegram (628-228-1836) or via Email.
On February 28, Axel Springer, the parent company of Business Insider, joined 31 other media groups in filing a $2.3 billion lawsuit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses caused by the company's advertising practices. I woke you up.
