What are H-1B visas, and do they hurt American workers? Key things to know

It is H-1B visa season, and American companies seeking high-skilled foreign workers have been rushing to submit applications for visas since the government started accepting them on Monday. For the sixth consecutive year, the federal government was flooded with so many petitions that it announced Friday that it had already reached its annual cap of 85,000 of these visas in just five days.

Hailed by proponents as vital to American innovation, the program has also been criticized for displacing United States workers with cheaper foreign labor.

Critics also want to end special work permits issued to some spouses of workers on H-1B