This issue effects companies across all industries, but software and life sciences companies always seem particularly stung by the limit on H-1B visas that can be granted in the U.S. If anyone out there is just getting through their "to do" pile on their desk and came across the H-1B visa application for a needed employee, apparently you are too late. The fiscal year for visas began on Friday, and the nationwide limit on the visas is 65,000, "[b]y the end of the work day Friday, Citizenship and Immigration Services already had received enough applications to meet the limit."
There are some Senators working on a program that would provide an exemption to the number of visas granted to students who graduate from master and doctorate degree programs in the U.S. This proposal is not without controversy, though, as opponents claim that with the recent layoffs of so many in the technology industries, there is no shortage of needed workers. That likely depends, though, on who is being laid off - perhaps those particular skills are not as needed, but people with other skills are.
Of course, we could also try harder to improve the math and science programs in our schools and encourage more students to follow those paths, thus really making it more difficult for companies to argue that there are not enough skilled workers. But that's a rant for another day.