US skilled work visa applications accepted from 1 April
March 17 2010 by Liam Clifford
US immigration is to begin accepting petitions for skilled US visas for the coming financial year from 1 April.
H-1B US work visas are intended to help US
firms bring in talented foreigners to work in the US in industries like IT,
engineering, science and other specialised fields. There are 65,000 visas
available under the programme and a further 20,000 for skilled workers with a
minimum of a masters degree gained while studying in the US.
Last year,
it wasn’t until 21 December that the year’s quota was filled, as a result of the
recession and protectionist measures introduced by President Obama. In the years
prior to this, the quota was filled within the first few days of US immigration
accepting applications. All eyes will be on the US immigration department from 1
April to see how quickly the petitions from firms wanting to employ skilled US
work visa holders are submitted.
The speed at which the quota is filled
this financial year will be particularly interesting as the demand for H-1B
visas increased considerably in the final months of 2009, indicating an increase
in demand for workers during November and December. This trend may well continue
into 2010 as the US economy continues to recover.
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