Increased annual H-1B allocation
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Addressing several issues critical to the Indian American tech community, Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, jointly introduced the Immigration Innovation ("I-Squared") Act of 2018 on Jan. 25, greatly expanding the number of new H-1B visas allotted each year, and allowing work authorization for H-4 visa
holders. In their bill, the senators also addressed another pressing issue by eliminating the per-country cap that currently leaves Indian H-1B holders and their dependent spouses stuck in queues for legal permanent residency for as long as 70 years after their initial application has been approved. The bill also provides work
authorization for H-4 children, but makes no provision for older H-4 visa holders, who currently age out of the system once they turn 21 and face the dilemma of having to return to the home country. Critically, however, the bill enables F-1 student visa holders to apply for permanent resident status while they are students or during
their Optional Practical Training. The Hatch/Flake bill increases the statutory cap of 65,000 new H-1B visas allotted each year to 85,000.
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