Craig Barrett, in a recent article at the Washington Post, said that the European Union's proposed blue card could shift the talent pool from the United States to the EU.

Barrett, Chairman for Intel, said that by proposing the blue card -- which would allow a renewable two-year work and residence permit for third country nationals -- the EU has made serious intentions on competing with the United States and Asia in attracting the world's top talent.

"With Congress gridlocked on immigration, it's clear that the next Silicon Valley will not be in the United States," Barret wrote.

He said that while nationalist and anti-immigrant factions in several Western European nations have made political gains in recent elections, the European Commission has still made progress in advancing the blue card proposal.

In fact, France -- usually very conservative towards immigration in any form -- has shown support for the proposal.

In contrast, the U.S. Congress has stalled repeatedly on making any progress towards immigration reform, which is threatening its long-term competitiveness.

Barret highlighted the two main routes skilled migrants must take to live and work in the United States: the H-1B visa program and employment-based (EB) green cards.

The H-1B visa is a quota based system with an annual allotment of 85,000 visas a year. The 65,000 of this number that go to normal people who have not studied in the U.S. were snatched up in one day this year.

The EB system has an annual allotment of 140,000 visas which are allotted equally across all countries, creating an inefficient system, according to Barret.

"The inflexible country quotas mean that professionals from countries such as China and India are almost always at a disadvantage, finding themselves stuck in a system -- often for five to 10 years -- in which they cannot seek promotions and raises," Barret wrote.

He added that spouses and children count against the quota as well, and that the annual number has not been raised since 1990.

Barret noted that U.S. competitors, especially the EU, are set to capitalize on the country's failed immigration policies.

"While its Blue Card proposal still requires approval by member countries, Europe has sent a message," he wrote. "It intends to aggressively pursue the professional talent necessary to compete on the global stage. The United States, on the other hand, seems intent on driving away the very same talent the European Union is rolling out the red carpet to welcome."