As we walk into 2019, there is a serious discussion among employers, lawyers and international employees about filing H-1B Visa for 2019. H1B visa is a valid three years’ work visa that can be renewed for another three years. Among all the industries, tech firms have been using H-1B visas to hire international talents that cannot be found at home. H-1B Visa Program has become very crucial to both foreigners who want to further build their career and life in the United States and companies, including tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, who hires international job seekers every year.
Ongoing discussion on keeping or limiting H1B Visa Program has become very stressful for international job seekers with American dream. However, the proposal of changes to H1B program made by Trump administration may increase the number of master’s degrees or higher-level degrees H1B visa recipients. Each year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opens a total of 85,000 such visas – 20,000 for those with master’s degrees or higher and 65,000 for those applicants who have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. The applications are accepted on first business day of April every year and visa allocation are exhausted within the first week. USCIS will reverse the order by which USCIS selects H-1B petitions under the H1B cap and the advanced degree exempt. Once a sufficient number of registrations or petitions have been selected for the H-1B cap, USCIS would then select registrations or petitions towards the advanced degree exemption. The proposal also includes plans to modernize the registration process by moving it online. USCIS says that part of the rule would decrease costs for applicants by cutting down on paperwork, making the process more efficient for the government.
For more information and the latest news on the H- 1B visa please visit: https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-and-fashion-models/h-1b-fiscal-year-fy-2019-cap-season
Written by Surpriya Tamang
