The U.S. Senate passed an amendment that could more than triple the fees employers pay for each H-1B visa petition.

The amendment sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) had originally proposed raising fees from the current $1,500 to $8,500 per H-1B visa. However, the version of the amendment that passed the Senate 59 to 35, calls for an increase in fees to $5,000 per H-1B visa.

The fees are earmarked to fund a new scholarship program for American students pursuing degrees in mathematics, technology and health care related fields.

In a statement, Compete America, a coalition of American tech firms, called the passage of the Sanders amendment "an outrageous and onerous tax increase on our nation's most innovative companies, and could make the H-1B program cost-prohibitive, especially for smaller businesses."