A San Diego life sciences startup. Courtesy CONNECT

There have been a plethora of discussions lately about what U.S. immigration policies might change in 2017. This has many technology companies in the U.S. concerned about negative impacts on their workforce. If H1-B and other non-immigrant work visas become more restrictive than they already are, it could negatively impact their productivity and growth.

Take a look at the sharing economy — companies that create mobile application platforms for individuals to offer services, such as rides or rooms — as a great example. Global accounting firm PwC believes this market has the potential to grow to $335 billion by 2025. These companies rely on foreign workers in positions related to software engineering, data science, design and system administration which helps drive this growth. These companies, as well as other tech companies, are always looking for qualified applicants. The pool of applicants must include foreign nationals to ensure that companies are able to hire employees with the technical skills they are looking for.

Read about his piece that ran in Times of San Diego

Donald Sheppard is a partner at the San Diego law firm Higgs Fletcher & Mack and is certified as a legal specialist in immigration and nationality law. His typical clients are companies in the high-tech and startup industries seeking to hire the brightest and best talent which includes foreign nationals that need employment sponsorship.