H1B 2009 : H1B Visas Could Double or Triple for 2008

Following Microsoft Chairman Bill Gate's testimony before the house of representatives, I learnt that two new bills have been submitted that could increase number of H1B visas to double (Gabrielle Giffords Bill) or triple(Lamar Smith bill)  for fiscal year 2008, if they could pass.

A bill introduced last week by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords would double the number of H-1B visas that allow immigrants to legally work in the United States.

The Tucson Democrat’s bill, known as the Innovation Employment Act, calls for increasing the limit of H-1B visas from 65,000 a year to 130,000 a year. The bill also would eliminate a 20,000-a-year cap on visas for foreign graduate or doctoral-program graduates who study science, technology, engineering or math.

Another bill submitted by U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, would expand the annual visa limit even further to 195,000 for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.

Source: Giffords for Congress » Blog Archive » Immigrant-worker visas could double if new bill passes

Read the Innovation Employment Act Bill at Library of Congress