Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates slammed the federal government’s strict limits on temporary visas for technology workers, saying that if he had his way, the system would be scrapped entirely.

“The theory behind the H-1B (visa)–that too many smart people are coming–that’s what’s questionable,” Gates said Wednesday during a panel discussion at the Library of Congress. “It’s very dangerous. You can get this idea that the world is very scary; let’s cut back on travel…let’s cut back on visas.”

Federal quotas on H-1B visas, capped at 65,000 last year, have long been a sore spot for Microsoft and other technology companies. But, Gates said, the increased caliber of research institutions in China and India means that curbs on immigration and guest-workers will pose a greater threat to America’s competitiveness than ever before.

Gates’ comments verged on sarcastic. He said that “it’s almost an issue of a centrally-controlled economy versus” and then trailed off. “I’d certainly get rid of the H-1B visa caps,” he added when asked what he would do if he could write U.S. laws. “That’s one of the easiest decisions.”

Source: News.com