H-1B Visas- Opportunities of Employment for Internationally Educated Workers
H-1B Visas allow an internationally educated individual to receive permission to work in the United States. With this status, the foreign employee may apply for a green card or permanent residency. However, many people don’t know the Visa process and how many US companies use it.
What is an H-1B Visa?
An H-1B is a temporary, non-immigrant work visa that allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers who require academic or hands-on expertise in specialized fields such as IT, engineering, medicine, architecture, and more. The applicant must have at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in a related field.
The H-1B visa program was created to help American tech firms address labor shortages in areas like computer programming or engineering allowing them to hire abroad. H-1B visas encourage diversity and inclusivity in companies with workers from various backgrounds.
H-1B Status and Application for Permanent Residence
The H-1B visa is initially granted for up to three years but can be extended up to six years, and an H-1B visa holder can apply for a green card or lawful permanent residence (LPR) in this period.
Top 10 U.S Companies Sponsoring H-1B Visas
According to My Visa Jobs Report
- Amazon.Com Services- 13,205
- Cognizant Technology Solutions- 13,077
- Ernst Young- 11,113
- Google- 9,919
- Tata Consultancy Services- 8,541
- Microsoft- 7,819
- Infosys- 7,804
- Apple- 4,088
- Meta Platforms- 4,083
- Qualcomm- 3,716
How Hard is It to Get the Visa?
The process for the employment-based visa is a selective lottery. There is an annual cap of 65,000 H-1B visas issued per fiscal year, and the employer must prove the lack of qualified American applicants. An additional 20,000 visas are available for applicants who have earned a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution.
However, there are several institutional exemptions to the H-1B cap including all colleges and universities, related or affiliated nonprofits, and governmental or nonprofit research organizations.
Cost
The cost is $215 to register for the H-1B lottery.
If the applicant is selected, the employer will then have to pay $780 to file Form I-129 (Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker), or $460 (in the case of small employers and nonprofits).
Beyond Form I-129, the costs can vary, depending on the company size, expediting the application, and whether or not the H-1B applicant finds another company or attorney.
Conclusion
An H-1B solicitor can be anyone from a U.S. college STEM graduate to a creative architect with twenty years of experience. Do you know anyone with an H-1B?
References
22 US companies that sponsor H-1B Visas. Built In. (n.d.).
https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion/companies-that-sponsor-h1b-visas
H-1B Specialty Occupations. USCIS. (2024, July 18).
The H-1B visa, explained. Boundless. (2024, July 15).
https://www.boundless.com/immigration-resources/the-h-1b-visa-explaine/
Top 200 H-1B visa sponsors 2024 visa reports. image. (n.d.).