Bill > HR9630

This bill, the High-skilled Immigration Reform for Employment Act, aims to expand the availability of H-1B nonimmigrant visas, which are temporary work visas for highly skilled foreign workers. Specifically, the bill increases the annual cap on H-1B visas from 65,000 to 130,000 and removes the additional 20,000 exemption for advanced degree holders. It also expands the definition of "H-1B-dependent employer," which are subject to additional requirements, by increasing the thresholds for the number of employees and percentage of H-1B workers. Additionally, the bill establishes the Promoting American Ingenuity Grant Program, which would provide funding to states to strengthen STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in elementary and secondary schools, retain STEM teachers, and assist higher education institutions in educating students in these fields.