H-1B visa
US employment visa for specialty occupations
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The H-1B is a visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H), that allows U.S. employers to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. A specialty occupation requires the application of specialized knowledge and a bachelor's degree or the equivalent of work experience. The duration of stay is three years, extendable to six years, after which the visa holder can reapply. Laws limit the number of H-1B visas that are issued each year. There exist congressionally mandated caps limiting the number of H-1B visas that can be issued each fiscal year, which is 65,000 visas, and an additional 20,000 set aside for those graduating with master’s degrees or higher from a U.S. college or university. An employer must sponsor individuals for the visa. USCIS estimates there are 583,420 foreign nationals on H-1B visas as of September 30, 2019. The number of issued H-1B visas have quadrupled since the first year these visas were issued in 1991. There were 206,002 initial and continuing H-1B visas issued in 2022.
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Proposed H-1B rule: Helping international students navigate cap-gapProposed H-1B modernization rules could benefit international students on F-1 visas looking to switch to H-1B work visas. The rules would extend the cap-gap period, allowing students to continue..IndiaTimes - Published | |
Proposed H-1B rule: Each individual to be entered once to curb gaming of lottery systemThe US Department of Homeland Security and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services have released proposed rules to modernize the H-1B program. One significant proposal aims to curb the misuse of..IndiaTimes - Published | |
USCIS plans big changes to H-1B visa; many Indians likely to be impactedThe US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a rule to modernize the H-1B specialty occupation worker program. The new rule aims to streamline eligibility requirements, improve program..IndiaTimes - Published | |
Laid-off workers in US could benefit from broadening of ‘compelling circumstances’ normsH-1B employees who are laid off in the US have a grace period of only 60 days to find another job, or else they can change their visa status (such as a visitor visa) or return back to their home..IndiaTimes - Published | |
In-person visa interview not required for OPT statusTravel plans of thousands of Indians have been hit by backlogs for important categories of US visas including B-1/B-2 visitors visas and H-1B and H-4 work permit visas. However, the good news for..IndiaTimes - Published | |
Delay in getting dates from US Embassy hits travel plans of H-1B visa holdersThousands of Indians in the US who are on H-1B visas are facing challenges in planning international travel, including visiting family in India, because they need a valid visa stamp on their passports..IndiaTimes - Published | |
PM Modi raises issues of H-1B visas with Joe Biden at bilateral meetingUS federal judge had turned down Trump-era changes to H-1B visa rules to deter US companies from replacing American workers with foreign labourDNA - Published Also reported by •IndiaTimes | |
Multiple registration for a single H-1B worker by different ‘employers’ challenged in a lawsuitIndiaTimes - Published |
