Washington: The current H-1B visa system, the numerical limit of which was set by the Congress in 1990, is incredibly disruptive to business planning and operations of US employers, software giant Microsoft told lawmakers.

The company came out in support of the comprehensive immigration reform which recommends substantial increase in the H-1B visas.

Referring to the fact that the US received 40,000 more applications for H-1B visas this year and the cap was reached in the first week itself, Brad Smith, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Corp, told a Congressional hearing that running out of H-1B visas this quickly has significant consequences for the economy.

He said: "This year, employers are faced with a scenario in which one-third of the H-1B petitions that they submitted will be rejected in the H-1B lottery.

"These are 40,000 positions that will remain unfilled despite the fact that qualified candidates have been identified and job offers have been extended after a careful, intensive recruiting process in a very competitive market for talent. This is incredibly disruptive to the business planning and operations of US employers."

Also Read: Wipro's Demerger Scheme Got Effective From March 31

Also Read: 10 Safest Internet Browsers For Enterprises