In the waning hours of this year's Congress, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas has launched an effort to allow into the United States up to 100,000 additional foreign workers annually in the high-tech and nursing fields.
The government has allotted 65,100 such visas for this year.
Months after Congress failed to agree on a broad immigration overhaul, the Texas Republican insisted Wednesday that his move is necessary because current H-1B visa caps are harming U.S. employers unable to find a skilled work force at home.
"Unfortunately, industries are dying on the vines for lack of a qualified work force," Cornyn said. "So this is very important for industries ranging from nurses to high-tech industries."