Himalayan News Service
Washington, October 12:

With the US government having already reached its cap on H1-B visas, there is some hope for foreign students and professionals applying for visas to the US with a proposal that foreign students be exempt from the limit. Two Republicans, senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, are trying to push through a proposal that foreign students graduating from masterýs or doctoral programmes at US universities be exempt from the visa limit as they are often recruited by US businesses and could end up working for global competitors if H1-B visas are unavailable. The US Chamber of Commerce too has urged Congress to ýreviseý the cap on H1-B visas for the rest of the fiscal year to ýensure American business has access to the talent it needsý and enact an exemption for foreign students.

The US reached the self-imposed cap on H1-B visas on October 1 - the first day of the US fiscal year - for the entire year. ýThis should tell members of Congress that an adjustment must be made,ý Chamber vice-president for labour, immigration and employee benefits Randel Johnson, said. The H1-B visa is required for all foreign-born, non-immigrant workers employed temporarily in the US in certain jobs. The visas, good for up to six years, are granted to foreign workers, mostly from India, in professions such as architecture, engineering, medicine and computer programming. Johnson said, ýThe ability to obtain visas for highly educated foreign nationals is crucial to US competitiveness and helps keep jobs in America. It is unthinkable that Congress would hamstring employers from having access to these needed workers for an entire year.ý Government officials have already refused to even consider H-1B petitions received after October 1. American businesses were split over the impact of the cap, with some saying that it would protect jobs for American workers and others saying it would result in a loss of highly educated foreign-born workers. Under the H-1B visa, US employers are expected to pay foreign professionals the prevailing wage and also comply with the guideline that no qualified US workers are being passed over.

That's a positive note.