``Our message is whether it's comprehensive immigration reform or some other way we really need relief this year," said Sandy Boyd, a vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers. ``There's much more demand for highly educated folks in specialty occupations and we hurt our competitiveness when we don't allow American companies access to the talent they need."
It's the fourth year in a row that the cap has been met before the start of the fiscal year. This year was the earliest that it has happened, tech companies said.
The Citizenship and Immigration Services began accepting H-1B petitions on April 1 and exceeded the cap on May 26, the agency said in a press release. Petitions subject to the 2007 cap the agency receives after May 26 will be rejected, the release said.
High-tech firms won't have another opportunity to apply until April 1, 2007, when petitioning will start for the 2008 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2007.
The visas are widely used in the Silicon Valley and elsewhere. Firms pay a $3,185 fee to bring workers in under the 6-year visas.
In addition to raising the cap, the Senate bill would allow it to increase as much as 20 percent more each year, depending on demand. Immigrants with certain advanced degrees would not be subject to the cap. There already are exemptions for some immigrants who've received higher-education degrees in the United States or are going to work at universities or nonprofits.
US technology workers and other opponents contend the expansion is unnecessary and will only bring down wages and discourage American youngsters from pursuing tech careers.
Congress last raised the cap in 2000 -- to 195,000 per year -- when the country was enjoying a technology boom. The limit was lowered back to 65,000 in time for the 2004 fiscal year.
