Page 13 - H1b Visa

H-1B visa rules from April 1: Pay more, file correctly or risk rejection

Starting April 1, 2024, applicants will face new rules, which include changes to where you can file your application, a hike in the fee for Form I-129 from $460 to $780, and more

FY 2025 H-1B visa registration period extended by US: All you need to know

Originally set to conclude on March 22, 2024, the period has now been extended to March 25, 2024

H-1B visa registration deadline is March 22 for Indians: All you must know

Indians eyeing the 'American dream', take note: The deadline for H-1B visa registration is set for March 22

Spouses, kids of H1-B visa holders to get automatic work authorisation

In a huge relief for H-1B visa holders, a White House-backed bipartisan deal has been unveiled under which automatic work authorisation would be granted to about 100,000 H-4 visa holders, who are spouses and children of a certain category of H-1B visa holders. The National Security Agreement that was announced on Sunday after long negotiations between the Republican and the Democratic leadership in the US Senate also provides a solution to about 250,000 aged-out children of H-1B visa holders. The move comes as good news for hundreds and thousands of Indian technology professionals who are waiting in a painstakingly long wait for a Green Card, in the absence of which their spouses cannot work and their aged-out children face the threat of deportation. A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently. The per-country caps are numerical limits on t

H1B to EB-5: US hikes visa fees for various categories of non-immigrant visas

The biggest increases are for EB-5 investors - the investment linked green card programme.

US announces overhaul of its annual lottery for H-1B visas to reduce fraud

The US has announced a major overhaul of its annual lottery for the H-1B speciality occupation visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, to curtail the potential for fraud and improve and streamline the registration system. Separately, the US on January 29 has formally launched a pilot programme to renew the much sought-after H-1B visas domestically, a move that is likely to benefit thousands of Indian tech professionals. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. The new overhauled system, among other things, includes the provision of a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations by employers. As a result, unlike in the past when multiple applications by an individual often resulted in abuse in fraud of the system, the H-1B vis

US starts 5-week H1-B visas renewal drive, to accept 20,000 applications

The announcement by the US Department of State on the pilot program for in-country renewal of certain petition-based temporary work visas, including for Indian nationals, was made in June 2023

Explained: How H1-B domestic visa renewal will benefit Indian techies

Working professionals would not have to travel back to India for a visa appointment to get their visa renewed. H-1B holders will be able to renew their visas by mailing them to the US state department

H-1B holders can renew visas without leaving the US from January 2024

An estimated 75 per cent of the H-1B visa granted in a year are known to go to workers from India, hired by some of the largest US tech giant such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Facebook.

US may hike visa fee in 2024, H1-B pre-registration fee to go up 2050%

Higher fees would result in increased financial burden for individuals applying for the H1-B visa. The overall cost of hiring Indian talent for the U.S. market would increase,

Biden admin proposes changes in H1B visa programme to improve efficiency

The Biden administration is proposing changes in the H1B foreign workers programme to improve efficiency by streamlining eligibility, providing more flexibility to F-1 students, entrepreneurs and those working for non-profit bodies and ensuring better condition for other non-immigrant workers. The rules, which are scheduled to be published by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on October 23 in the Federal Register have been proposed without changing the Congress-mandated 60,000 limit on the number of such visas the US issues every year. Making the proposed rules public for stakeholders to give their comments and feedback, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the proposed changes in the rules are aimed at streamlining eligibility requirements, improving programme efficiency, providing greater benefits and flexibilities to employers and workers, and strengthening integrity measures. The H1B programme helps US employers hire the employees they need to meet ..

Visa interviews within standard time frame: US Consulate General Mumbai

The US Consulate General Mumbai said that it has cleared all visa backlog and applicants can now schedule their appointments for immigrant visa interviews within the standard time frame

US finishes 2nd lottery round for H-1B visa, successful candidates notified

The US has completed a second round of random lottery selection for the much sought-after H-1B work visa for foreign guest workers and the successful applicants have been notified, according to a federal agency. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. We now have randomly selected, from the remaining FY 2024 registrations properly submitted, a sufficient number of registrations projected as needed to reach the cap, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Tuesday. All the successful applicants eligible for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year beginning October 1, have been notified about it, it said. USCIS had to conduct an unprecedented second round of the H-1B lottery, which is held in the first week of April, mainly because o

What is recapturing of unused green cards and why will India gain from it

According to the Congressional Research Service, over the past two decades, the number of people on the waiting list for family-sponsored green cards has grown by over 100 per cent.

From July 16, those holding H1-B visa, kin can apply for jobs in Canada too

There are approximately 400,000 H-1B visa holders in the US, which is why the government is setting a cap on the new stream of people who could hold those visas at 10,000.

Canada announces new work permit for 10,000 H-1B visa holders from US

Canada has announced a new open work-permit stream to allow 10,000 H-1B visa holders in the US to come and work in the country, a move that could benefit thousands of Indian tech professionals. Canada is hoping to become a world leader in a variety of emerging technologies and it hopes to attract professionals affected by massive layoffs by US tech giants. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. By July 16, the Canadian government will create an open work-permit stream to allow 10,000 American H-1B visa holders to come and work in Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser said on Tuesday. In its news release, the ministry said the programme will also provide for study or work permits for their family members. We're

H1B visa renewal can be done in US itself: PM Modi to Indian diaspora

The move is part of a people-to-people initiative and comes after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden

New law for Veteran Affairs to hire health professionals on H1B visas

A legislation aiming at hiring foreign healthcare professionals on H-1B visas to help the United States Department of Veteran Affairs meet the medical needs of people has been introduced. The Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act' was introduced by Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Delia Ramirez on Wednesday. If signed into a law, the legislation would make it easier for VA (veteran affairs) and State Veterans Homes to hire foreign employees on H1-B visas when they cannot find a suitable applicant in the United States. Specifically, the bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs and State Veterans Homes as cap exempt institutions for the purposes of the H1-B visa programme. Our veterans deserve high-quality healthcare, and our district knows firsthand the importance of providing access to care, especially mental health services, for veterans who need it the most, Tlaib said. We cannot just express our gratitude to our veterans for their service to our country, we

US tables Bill to tweak H1B visa, kill country quota for Green Card

It also stands to provide undocumented immigrants who pass background checks and pay taxes with a five-year path to citizenship without fear of deportation

H1B lottery scam: What is visa fraud and how to avoid being a victim of it

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise