US H-1B Visa For Specialty Workers

Thousands of immigrants flock to the US every year with the hope to build a successful career there. Some join as students on F1 visas and some as professionals on H-1B visas. H-1B visa is a work permit that allows US companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that require technical expertise in departments like IT, finance, architecture, engineering, accounting, medicine, and science, etc. The company is only allowed to hire a foreign worker when it proves its inability to find a US-based employee. This visa is initially valid for three years which can later be extended up to six years depending upon the type of work being handled.

How is an H-1B visa valuable?

It is one of the few visas that allow family members to join the visa holder in the US. The family member is required to file for the H4 visa to validate their stay in the US. People, who hold H-1B visas can open bank accounts, attend schools, receive a social security number, and even apply for a driver’s license. Applying for a non-immigrant visa is quicker than obtaining a US green card; hence this visa is pretty popular for companies who want to bring in talented professionals in their workforce. H-1b is not the only way as companies can also hire specialized workers through L-1B visa, L-1A, and E-2 categories.

H-1B Visa Cap

Current immigration laws allow sanction of 85,000 new H1B visas each fiscal year. 65,000 out of those are for overseas workers in specialty occupations and the remaining for those professionals who have an advanced degree from a US academic institution.

Eligibility

There is a specific set of rules that need to be met to become eligible for an H1B visa such as:

• The candidate must have completed a US Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college
• Has a foreign degree that is equivalent to the US degree in the same occupation
• Have experience in the specialty you are applying for

Length of stay

It is one of the few visas that is recognized as dual intent which means that someone who holds an H1B visa can apply for and obtain a US green card. Six years is the maximum amount of time an H-1B visa in the US is sanctioned for and if you wish to extend your stay beyond this point, you can apply for permanent residency. If your application does not go through then you must live outside the US for a year before reapplying.

Family and dependents

As an H1B visa holder, you can bring your spouse or any children under the age of 21 years of age under the H4 category. The family and dependents are allowed to remain in the US as long as the H1b visa holder has legal permission to stay. H4 visa holders cannot work in the US but can attend school and apply for a driver’s license.

How to get an H1B visa?

Only a limited number of visas are issued every year and you only have a specific window of opportunity. The draw usually starts on 1^st April for the fiscal year beginning on 1st October. You must accept a job offer from an e-verified US company to be eligible and should have relevant experience in the same field.

The immigration laws keep changing so the status of H1B visa holders has also become uncertain this year. As an immigrant, it is absolutely vital for you to upgrade your tech skills by taking admission in a skill enhancement program. Having the required skill-set can put you on the radar of a potential employer and escalate your chances of getting hired. SynergisticIT provides a robust up-skill program to cope with the ever-changing demands of the IT field. From AWS training, Java, Big data to data science, Mern stack, and python, you have plenty of options to expand your knowledge base and fulfill your career goals.