What do you need to know about the H1-B Visa

The H-1B visa program was created to allow US companies to bring in skilled technical workers into the USA, in the absence of the same for a particular post. There is of course a cap on how many people can be allotted this visa, a system that has constantly come under scrutiny from US employers. But before you make up your mind for applying, you must know about the H1B visa.

Let’s check out a few things that are absolutely necessary for you to know about the H1B visa, before you apply:

– H1-B visa is a work based visa issued by the US government which offers those foreign workers interested in working in the US an opportunity to apply for work and stay in the country for a period of at least 6 years, after which the visa can be renewed.

You need to know the necessary qualifications for applying for the H1B visa. The foreign worker, who seeks an H1B visa must be a holder of a 4 year diploma course or a postgraduate studies certificate. For those who are not graduates, the employer must prove that the applicant possesses the skills and expertise for that particular job. The particular skills and expertise should have been got through training in the specialized field or at least 12 years of experience.

– The field for which H1B visa is applicable are- Medicine, IT, Scientific Research, Architecture, Banking, Economics, legal professions, besides some specific others.

The filing of an H1B visa application with USCIS must be done at least six months before the actual date of engagement with the worker;

– The US company, sponsoring the worker should file the H1B visa application to the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on behalf of the worker.

The employer must comply with the requirements set by government agencies like the Department of Labor.

– All the required fees must be paid by the sponsoring firm, which is required for the filing, preparation and processing of the H1B visa application. Note some fees can be paid by the candidate.

– A person with an H1B visa can apply for a green card.

– Currently the cap for H1B visa being much below the actual demand level, there is a huge rush in applications, sometimes the USCIS has to close taking in applications within a day of the opening day.

– All applications must be well documented which is why you need to know about the H1B visa and which papers are necessary unless of course you decide to employ an H1B visa attorney, which also might be a good idea.

– There is a faster method of processing your H1B visa through the H1B Premium Processing method. For this is a charge of $1,225 (subject to new fees) is levied and the visa is processed within 15 days.

Since it is your responsibility to ensure that the Form I-129 of the H1B visa petition is completed accurately, you need to know about the H1B visa filing process or hire a competent lawyer who is experienced in handling such cases, for you. This is because failure to complete the Form I-129 properly might result in the rejection of the H1B visa petition. For this you might consider hiring the Shah Peerally Law firm which has handled many such cases in the past.

The experienced attorneys of the Shah Peerally Law group will ably be able to guide you and tell you all that you need to know about the H1B visa filing process. You can email them at [email protected] OR even call them up for advice at- (510) 742-5887 for consultation.

Want to know more about H1B?

Early Preparation for an H1B visa

The H1B Transfer

Simple H1B visa checklist (documents required)

7 Things you should know about H1B visas.

Hiring the Right H1B Attorney for your case.

Learn and Know about the H1B visa.