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 A bill by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah,
which is home to some of the companies that would benefit, would
increase the number of high-tech visas to 115,000 a year from
65,000. But that cap could go as high as 195,000 in any one year if
demand for the workers was strong.
The bill also would loosen restrictions on permanent resident status
in the United States for some high-tech workers and their
dependents.
Hatch, a Republican, first introduced the measure in 2013, and it
was incorporated into an immigration bill passed by the Senate later
that year. That overhaul of U.S. immigration law died when
Republicans in the House of Representatives refused to consider it
in 2014.
 Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google are among the companies that
have been clamoring for better access to high-skilled foreign
workers.
"This bill would help us to attract the best and brightest minds who
want to bring their talents to our companies by using a market
driven approach to match what our economy needs in terms of
high-skilled employees," said Andy Halataei, vice president of the
Information Technology Industry Council. It represents companies
that include Aol, Google, Dell, Facebook and Microsoft.
A senior Senate Democratic aide signaled opposition, however, saying
that some of the party's senators likely would refuse to embrace the
bill without solid assurances that a broad range of other
immigration problems would also addressed.
Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, an opponent of the 2013 Senate
immigration bill, said in a memo to fellow Republicans that it was a
"false claim" that there is a shortage of qualified American workers
for high-tech jobs.
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Legislation to increase foreigners' access to those jobs, Sessions
said, was an attempt by industry to get access to cheaper labor,
freezing out U.S. workers.
With the fate of the bill in the Republican-controlled Senate in
doubt, Hatch nevertheless said such a bipartisan measure could be
used for "more progress on immigration reform."
But relations between the White House and congressional Republicans
on immigration are sour following President Barack Obama's decision
in November to ease the threat of deportation for millions of
undocumented residents.
(Reporting By Richard Cowan and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Grant
McCool and Paul Simao)
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