US immigration policies impact software developer hiring

New research reveals that a number of software development firms in the United States struggle to hire the skilled immigrants they need due to the country’s strict immigration laws.

The 2019 Developer Skills Report carried out by HackerRank, reveals that 30 percent of the US hiring managers surveyed report that tightened American immigration policies have directly impacted their access to talent.

Silicon Valley is largely composed of immigrants, with 57 per cent of its technical workforce born outside of the United States.

However, the HackerRank survey found that 4 in 10 software developers were negatively impacted by immigration policies in 2018.

Nearly 1 in 5 software developers who applied for a US work visa were denied. In fact, many developers were discouraged from even applying. Almost 25 per cent of developers stated that US immigration policies discouraged them or others they knew from applying for jobs in the country.

The demand for software developers in the United States is expected to grow much faster than average in the next five years, but the majority of employers fear they won’t have access to the workers they need for the vacant positions.

The report surveyed over 71,000 software developers from more than 100 countries around the world. The data provides an inside look at the skills global programmers have and want and the criteria they’re using to evaluate job opportunities.

Article published 30th January 2019