We got there because we finally concluded that HlBs are probably necessary at this point. We have an HlB program that authorizes 65.000 foreign workers per year to come into our country and work subject to certain specialty provisions. The H1B. let me make sure everybody understands. the HlB visas are available for workers coming temporarily to the United States to perform services in specialty occupations. A specialty occupation is one that requires a theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and attainment of a bachelors or higher degree in the specific specialty as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States. Now. that is a fancy way of saying. you have to be in a pretty narrow area that is specialized in order to be eligible to come into the United States on an exceptional basis and take a job that. in effect. we are saying we just do not have the United States workers in our country capable of filling that job. Now. this HlB program has been around for a long time. We have 65.000 people a year that we allow to come in. They spend a total of 6 years each. 65 times 6 is almost 400.000 foreign workers that can be in the United States under the current H1B program. Now. how did we get here? High tech industries expanded their employment base and concluded that they needed more than the 65.000 a year allocation and. in fact. the Committee on the Judiciary agreed with them. We will hear arguments all over the place. but the truth of the matter is that we finally concluded. well. we do not really know whether there is a shortage that requires an increase in H1B slots or not. but we are prepared to give the benefit of the doubt and keep on moving. So let us do this and let us do it in a reasonable way that acknowledges that the high tech industry has a problem that they cannot get enough U.S. workers to fill these highly technical positions. but we did it against a backdrop where some people were really concerned. In fact.
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H1B visas