GOP Bill Could Expand H-1B Quota

Late last month, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch introduced Senate Bill 2344, or the Immigration Innovation Bill of 2018. If passed, the bill would expand the H-1B cap to nearly 195,000 professional workers annually.

Provisions

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch proposes an increase to the H-1B visa cap from 65,000 to 85,000. Hatch’s bill primarily aims to attract upper level professionals with Ph.Ds. or those with qualified degrees under the STEM Designated Degree Program List published by the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, the new prioritization guidelines focus primarily on petitioners with bachelor’s or master’s degrees from U.S. higher education institutions. The bill would also allow for “market-based H-1B visa limits.” This “market” based approach would grant 110,000 more H-1B visas based on market demand in addition to the 85,000 cap extension. Therefore, the total annual H-1B limit could rise to 195,000. Hatch hopes to bolster the U.S. economy by providing domestic tech industries with enough foreign human capital to meet current market demand.

According to Bloomberg, this bill has already attracted negative attention from domestic interest groups. Many fear the potential American job loss in face of a raise in the number of H-1B recipients. However, the change would allow thousands more professionals to work under a H-1B visa, which limits many due to the 65,000 cap. Although “I-squared” is an exciting proposal for potential H-1B professionals, Senator Hatch must obtain bipartisan support in the Senate for the Bill to reach a vote.