Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio has been hit left and right, figuratively, on his stance on immigration, but he appears to have a plan to increase immigration for the tech industry.

Speaking at New York City's Civic Hall, which describes itself as "a one-of-a-kind community center for the world's civic innovators," Rubio said he supports an increase in H-1B visas for skilled workers.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), H-1B is a visa program that allows U.S. businesses to employ foreign-born workers in occupations "specialized knowledge," such as engineering, computer programmers and scientists. The USCIS also stated the occupation would require a bachelor's degree or higher in a related field of study. Currently, Congress sets a cap on H-1B visas to 65,000, although some exemptions may apply.

At Civic Hall, Rubio also said there should be a "merit-based system" that gives a path to citizenship.

As quoted by Wired, Rubio said, "My argument is if you're the best at what you do on this planet, I don't want you here temporarily. I want you here permanently. I want you to become American."

But Rubio has previously received criticism for his immigration stance. During an interview with CNBC's John Harwood, Rubio said there should not be a special path for undocumented immigrants.

"You pushed that Senate bill that had a path to citizenship after a number of years that ended with people - they had 10 years they could apply for a green card, right?" questioned Harwood.

Rubio replied, "Right, some of them. Right. The ones that qualify," adding he does not support the a special path "because we can't pass it."

Although he was an original cosponsor of the 2013 bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act" (S.744), Rubio said he is convinced lawmakers cannot pass immigration reform through one comprehensive deal.

On Oct. 7, it was announced Rubio co-sponsored a bill to withhold or reallocate federal funds and grants from U.S. jurisdictions that do not comply with federal agencies requesting a detained immigrant. Such jurisdictions are often referred to as "sanctuary cities."

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., introduced the bill titled "Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act."

"There is absolutely no reason that any U.S. city should be allowed to ignore our nation's immigration laws and provide a safe harbor for illegal immigrants. Our legislation will stop sending sanctuary cities federal taxpayer dollars, so hopefully they get a clue," Vitter said in a statement.

The bill has also received support from Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

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