Washington: A Republican caucus has asked the Democrat leadership to clear a proposed bill to raise the "artificial" cap on H1-B visas, much sought-after by skilled professionals including Indians, from the current 65,000 to 115,000,with provision for 20 per cent annual increase.

The Republican Study Committee of the House of Representatives, in a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, appealed to them to bring up the legislation and pass it in the next few months.

The panel called for an increase in the number of H1B visas from the current 65,000 to 115,000 and for 20 per cent built-in annual increase.

The letter addressed to Pelosi and Hoyer, which was sent last Friday, emphasised that the demand for the H1Bs far outstrips the "artificial" quotas.

It detailed the situation in which American-educated foreigners are unable to work in this country after completing their course of study here.

"As a country, we are effectively handing these highly-educated, extremely desirable individuals a diploma and a plane ticket. The message we are sending is You can learn here, but you have to work in another country ," the committee of conservative Republican members told the Democrat leaders.

"Every year American businesses tell us how difficult it is to retain the qualified people they want to retain because of the artificially low H1B caps... That do not reflect market realities," the Republican lawmakers said.

Source : PTI