Foreign knowledge workers as a strategic staffing option

1998 was the second year in a row that saw the annual allocation of 65,000 visas for the temporary employment of professional workers exhausted before the end of the year. The increased quota of 115,000 for 1999 was exhausted by March. Congressional action underway as this article went to press to further revise the quota to 195,000 may give more firms the opportunity to realize what their quick-moving competitors have already seen-that U.S. immigration policy provides several options for hiring knowledge workers and other professionals for short-term or permanent positions. This article casts the hiring of foreign knowledge workers as one of several staffing options available to organizations and presents information on advantages and limitations of various immigration programs. Hiring foreign professionals is not a costless panacea, though, and earn raise important strategic issues that cascade through levels of management. This article examines these issues to help managers at all levels determine if hiring immigrant workers is a viable option for their professional workforce staffing