Washington: According to agency reports, the US Congress will consider a Bill, which seeks to increase the number of H1-B visas. The number of visas may be doubled to 115,000 a year from the present 65,000.
Moreover, the bill may also propose increasing it by 20 per cent each year. The final guidelines of the immigration Bill would be finalised by the Senate in a few weeks. The H1-B visas reached a peak of 195,000 per year in 2003 but since then, the Congress has steadily reduced the numbers
The Senate is also seeking to increase the immigration numbers by looking at entrants for Science, Technology and Engineering jobs, keeping in mind the need for qualified teachers in US for Math and Sciences. The Senate is also said to be looking at creating an F-4 visa category for students keen on pursuing advanced degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math.
These students would be given permanent residency if they find a job in their areas of study and pay a $1000 fee for scholarship and training of American workers.
In New Delhi earlier this month, President George Bush told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that he was in favour of relaxing the visa regime for India's skilled tech force.
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