The 300-page Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, now being debated by the Senate Judiciary Committee, affects many aspects of immigration policy and security in addition to changes in H-1B and green-card laws.

The bill could reach the full Senate for a vote by the end of the month.

If the measure fails, H-1B proponents will continue their efforts to increase the cap, likely by adding the proposal to another bill, said Sandra Boyd, chairwoman of Compete America, a Washington-based group of businesses, industry groups and universities supporting a visa cap increase.

The group also supports the bill's proposal to speed up the permanent residency, or green card, process for foreigners with advanced degrees. "We will continue to press on these issues," said Boyd.

Applications for H-1B visas for the 2007 federal fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, can be submitted to the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services starting April 1.