High-tech companies looking to bring more skilled workers to the U.S. pushed Monday for more concessions in an immigration bill pending in the Senate.--Many high tech companies are concerned about the number of restrictions designed to ensure U.S. workers get a first shot at jobs and also the calculation for the H-1B Cap

The broad bill requires employers filing visa petitions to first offer a job to an "equally qualified" U.S. worker. Hatch s revised amendment number 12 would impose this requirement only on "H-1B-dependent" companies but clarifies the definition of such companies. The underlying bill also bars companies from displacing a U.S. worker within 90 days of filing a visa petition for an H-1B worker. Hatch s amendment number 13 would shield non-H-1B-dependent companies by allowing them to only stipulate that they do not have the intent to displace U.S. workers. The Schumer-Hatch deal accepts the original intent standard for non-H-1B companies but only for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) positions. For all other professions, there would remain a strict prohibition against displacing workers within 90 days of visa petitions.

The bill would have nearly doubled the number of those visas available each year, to 110,000. The agreement with Hatch allows companies to more quickly reach the eventual cap of 180,000, so long as the unemployment rate in those professions does not top 4.5%. New requirements that companies seek American workers or not displace those on the job would also be eased--This was absolutely a victory for the High Tech industry.