Thousands of US work visas still available

August 14 2009 by Matt Jones

US visa popular with Indian professionals

Thousands of H1-B US work visas are still up for grabs, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Approximately 49,000 petitions had been received as of 7 August 2009 and it looks as though the 65,000 cap for the 2010 fiscal year is unlikely to be met. The USCIS began accepting petitions for the 2010 fiscal year, which begin in October, four months ago but there has been less interest than usual from people and firms needing a US visa.

Indian professionals are often one of the largest groups of beneficiaries that go though US immigration using the H1-B programme, with many moving to the US to fulfill roles in the technology industry. However, the recession has hit industry hard, particularly in light of the fact that firms accepting state aid are not permitted to take on workers from outside the US.

There have been around 20,000 American visas left unclaimed for two months now and onlookers believe this may be due to the high number of visa applications being rejected.

The quota for H1-B visas petitions is usually fulfilled in a matter of days, with the selection process often going to a computerised draw to make it fair. However, this year, since the quota was launched on 1 April 2009, 42,000 applications were received in the first five working days, followed by just 7,000 in the following months.

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