The government has allotted 65,100 such visas for this year.
Months after Congress failed to agree on a broad immigration overhaul, the Texas Republican insisted Wednesday that his move is necessary because current H-1B visa caps are harming U.S. employers unable to find a skilled work force at home.
"Unfortunately, industries are dying on the vines for lack of a qualified work force," Cornyn said. "So this is very important for industries ranging from nurses to high-tech industries."