A new bill has been introduced in the US Senate seeking a reform in H-1B visa allocation. Two Republican Senators on Thursday introduced a legislation in the Senate seeking an increase in the annual H-1B visa limit.
Named the ‘Immigration Innovation (I-Squared) Act of 2018′, the bill seeks increase of annual base allocation of H-1B visas from 65,000 to 85,000. If the bill gets approved, up to 110,000 additional H-1B visas (making a total of 195,000) will be granted in a fiscal year if and only if certain requirements are met.
The Bill also increases H-1B visa holders’ mobility by establishing a grace period during which they can change jobs without losing legal status.
The Immigration Innovation Act is supported by several top US tech companies, including Microsoft and Facebook, and many top trade bodies, including US Chambers of Commerce and Information Technology Industry Council.