US have doubled up, H1-B visas from 65,000 per year to 115,000

Washington, June 04, 2006
Raj Malhotra

American companies were lobbying for raising the cap on H1-B visas so that more tech workers are able to come and work in the US. The US Senate has approved immigration reform bill that included to raise the current 65,000 annual cap on H1-B visas to 115,000.

The H1-B visas, highly favored by the technology industry are for foreign nationals with advanced degrees in science, engineering and technology to work in the United States for up to six years. The bill also provides that immigrants with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the H1-B visa cap. That quota could rise by as much as 20 percent per year depending on labor market demands.

After the terrorist attacks of 2001, Congress slashed H1-B visas to 65,000 from 195,000 over national security concerns and from pressure from trade protectionists who think the jobs should go to Americans

Now foreign nationals could get instant work permit visas for the USA, if their NRI relatives are ready to arrange H-1B visas from an American company for them.

During the trip of US President George Bush in Delhi in March, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had requested more job opportunities for the Indian professionals in America by increasing the number of visas.