Washington - People can submit for H-1B visa petitions in the United States for the new fiscal year on April 3.
Published: Sun 2 Apr 2017, 9:50 AM
Last updated: Sun 2 Apr 2017, 6:47 PM
The US will start accepting applications for H-1B work visas for the fiscal 2018 from April 3 amid the uncertainties surrounding the visa programme.
The popular tech industry visa is a pathway for skilled foreigners to work in the US, CNNTech reported.
Unlike previous years, the official announcement by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) did not say till when it would continue accepting the H-1B petitions. The department normally has been accepting the application for the first five business days.
Last year, the cap of 85,000 H-1B visas was reached less than a week after the application period opened up. During that time, 236,000 petitions were submitted. When demand exceeds supply, the visas are awarded through a lottery system.
There are additional stress factors this year. The political environment is decidedly less welcoming to foreigners and one of the favoured processing options has been put on hold, the report said.
For an additional $1,225 fee (Dh 4499), premium processing guarantees that an H-1B petition is reviewed within 15 days (if it's selected in the lottery).
According to USCIS, premium processing filings accounted for 59 per cent of the total H-1B filings in 2016. But in March, USCIS announced it was temporarily freezing that option on April 3.
Non-premium visa petitions can take as much as eight months before they're approved, immigration lawyers say. USCIS hopes to reduce overall processing times with the temporary freeze.
"Like any other bureaucratic function, [visa petitions] pile up when there's a lot of people interested in filing and only limited resources," Robert Sakaniwa, senior associate director of advocacy at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, told CNNTech.
USCIS said H-1B programme allows companies in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the application of a body of highly specialised knowledge and a bachelor's degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent.
The filing fee for Form I-129 has increased to $460, and petitioners no longer have 14 days to correct a dishonoured payment.
Fiscal year 2018 begins on October 1, 2017.
About H-1B visa
The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows American firms to employ foreign workers in occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year.
It was first introduced in 1990 and since then the policy has seen a lot of flip-flop.
When H-1B visas were first introduced, the cap was a total of 65,000. In the year 2000, it was raised to 1,95,000 for three years. In 2004, the number of these visas was again reversed to 65,000 by the US.
The H-1B also allows visa-holders to bring their spouse and children under 21 to the US as dependents.
After President Donald Trump assumed office, there has been a lot of uncertainty over the future of H-1B visa-holder Indians working in the US with four bills about the H-1B visas pending in the US Congress.
The Trump administration this month temporarily suspended the expedited premium processing of H-1B visas.
Premium processing ensures quick response (within 15 days) from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A standard processing of H1B visa normally takes three to six months.
The suspension will be effective from April 3, and may last up to six months.
(With inputs from PTI/IANS)
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