A H-1B Chance for Foreign Graduates from US institutions
11/04/2008
Foreign students from US universities were previously required to leave the country and apply for the highly competitive H-1B visa. This s is due to change.
The influx of petitions for highly skilled foreign migrants seeking temporary work in the United States has doubled this year, resulting in the need for a lottery to decide who becomes one of 20 000 foreigner students receiving a H-1B visa. Previously the foreign graduates suffered by joining this massive pool.
Graduates from American universities can now remain in the United States for 29 months, as apposed to the previous amount of 12 months, and therefore get the chance to remain in the country if they work and train in their field. They therefore no longer have to go home and then only apply for an H-1B visa.
Global Visas, an international visa and immigration authority is a specialist in US immigration consultancy. According to Liam Clifford, Global Visa's director, "we can help to simplify the raft of American visas and immigration services available and help those wanting to apply specifically for highly sought after H-1B."
Petitions amounting to over 160 000 for H-1B visas where received since April 1st, the start of the application period. This is almost double the amount that ultimately gets distributed.
Each year the government grants 65 000 H-1Bs to highly skilled foreigners and 20 000 to those who graduated with masters degrees and doctorates at American universities. The H-1B visa allows companies in the United States to employ foreigners at cheaper prices and who have skills and talent in highly technical sectors.
Last year just 25 companies, such as the Indian companies Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and Patni Computer Systems and American Organisations like the Microsoft Corporation and Ernst & Young, took up as much as 20 000 of the 65 000 available H-1B visas last year.
There are shortages in the US when it comes to technical jobs, these foreigners fill these positions. This visa ultimately allows an employer in the United States to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations for a period of up to six years.
Clearly many employers would like more H-1B visas to become available. This has resulted in Senator John Cornyn, from Texas, drawing up a bill to increase the amount of H-1B visas authorised to 145 000 by 2011. Also a law disallowing multiple entries for the same person was implemented this year.
This year the limit to petitions has been met and the computer-generated lottery will determine who can enter the country on the H-1B visa.
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