Bill Introduced in US Senate Seeks to Increase Annual H1B Visas

Washington: Two Republican senators today introduced legislation in the senate that seeks to increase the annual H-1B visa limit with an aim to bring in the world's "best and brightest" to the US.

Introduced by senators Orrin Hatch and Jeff Flake, the Immigration Innovation (I-Squared) Act of 2018 provides work authorisation for spouses and dependent children of H 1B visa holders and establishes a grace period during which H 1B visa holders can change jobs without losing legal status.

It also exempts spouses and children of employment-based green card holders from the cap.

The legislation is supported by top American IT companies, including Microsoft and Facebook and top trade bodies, including US Chambers of Commerce and Information Technology Industry Council.

In a joint statement Hatch and Flake said the bill focuses on areas vital to maintaining US' competitiveness in the global economy - the availability of



employment-based non-immigrant visas (H-1B visas) for industries in which there is a shortage of American labour, reforms to the H-1B programme to reduce fraud and help protect workers, increased access to green cards for high-skilled workers and directing fees collected for H-1B visas and green cards to promote STEM worker training and education.

Previous versions of the Bill were introduced in the last two Congresses.

"Now more than ever, we need highly qualified workers with the skills employers need to succeed in the information economy," Hatch said.

"As I've long said, high-skilled immigration is merit-based immigration and we need a high-skilled immigration system that works.

"The Immigration Innovation Act will help ensure that our companies have access to the world's best and brightest and are able to fill jobs in highly technical, specialised fields for which there is a shortage of American labour," he said.