Posts Tagged ‘H-1B quota’
ALERT: H-1B CAP FILING PERIOD OPENS APRIL 1, 2012!
The filing period for the next H-1B cap season opens April 1, 2012 for an October 1, 2012 start date. Petitions are accepted up to 6 months in advance of October 1, 2012.
The H-1B visa is a temporary work visa for a degreed professional (or someone with equivalent experience) seeking employment in a position complex enough to need his/her specific degree.
Each year, there are 65,000 slots available to holder’s of U.S. or foreign Bachelor’s degrees or foreign Master’s or higher degrees (or equivalent experience). There are an additional 20,000 slots set aside for individuals with U.S. Master’s or higher degrees.
Please don’t hesitate to contact our San Francisco Immigration Law Office if you or your employer need assistance with an H-1B petition.
Tags: H-1B, h-1b cap, H-1B quota, H1b, USCIS, work visa
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, Nonimmigrant Visas, USCIS | Read More »
H-1B CAP Update: 18,800 H-1B Visas Left
The USCIS announced on October 21, 2011 that 20,000 U.S. Master’s cap numbers and 46,200 regular cap numbers have been taken. This means that there are 18,800 H-1B slots left for this year. Practitioners are anticipating that these remaining visas will run out by the end of the year.
The H-1B category is for degreed professionals seeking jobs that are complex enough to need a degree. Please contact our San Francisco law office as soon as possible if you’d like assistance with an H-1B petition.
If the cap closes, the next available filing window opens April 1, 2012 for an October 1, 2012 start date.
Tags: Bachelor's degree, h-1b cap, H-1B quota, U.S. Master's
Posted in Alerts, H-1B, Nonimmigrant Visas | Read More »
ALERT: FY2012 H-1B Cap Period Opens April 1, 2011!
The USCIS will begin accepting FY2012 H-1B cap petitions April 1, 2011. These petitions are for H-1B employment opportunities with a start date of October 1, 2011 (the start of FY2012 for the USCIS). The H-1B category is for holders of Bachelor’s or higher degrees (or equivalent experience) who are being sponsored for positions that are complex enough to require a degree in a specific specialty.
Each year, the government allots 65,000 H-1B slots for individuals holding a Bachelor’s degree (U.S. or foreign) or Master’s or higher degree from a foreign institution. There are an additional 20,000 slots for holders of U.S. Master’s degrees. In 2007 and 2008, the H-1B visas were gone in the first few days of April. In 2009 and 2010, they remained available for several months. It’s unlikely that the visas will be gone immediately this year. However, that being said, to maximize your chances of getting an H-1B number, it is advised to file on or near April 1, 2011 whenever possible.
Please contact our San Francisco Immigration Law Office if you need assistance with an H-1B petition or have questions about the above.
Tags: h-1b cap, H-1B quota, H-1B visa, H1b
Posted in Alerts, H-1B | Read More »
H-1B’s Still Available
The FY2011 H-1B cap filing period opened April 1, 2010. As of April 8, 2010, the USCIS has only received 19,100 H-1B petitions for the 85,000 slots currently allotted. This means there are many H-1B slots left to be filled!
The H-1B category is for individuals who wish to perform temporary work in the U.S. in positions that require a Bachelor’s or higher degree (i.e. in a specialty occupation). Each year, 65,000 slots are allotted for holders of Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent experience and 20,000 slots are allotted for U.S. Master’s degree holders (or higher), totaling 85,000 slots. In previous years, the quota was reached within days of April 1, however, due to the struggling U.S. economy, that is not currently the case. Last year, the cap period remained open over 8 months from April 1, 2009 – December 21, 2009.
Despite the slowdown in H-1B filings, the category remains a first-come/first-serve system, so filing an H-1B cap petition sooner rather than later is best. The USCIS can announce at any time that the cap has been reached and it is closed until next year. Please contact our immigration law firm if you would like our assistance with your H-1B petition.
Tags: H-1B, h-1b cap, H-1B quota
Posted in H-1B | Read More »
I Have an H-1B Visa. Can I work for more than one employer?
As an H-1B visa holder, you may work for more than one employer. However, each employer must file a separate H-1B petition on your behalf. H-1B status does not allow you to work everywhere and in any capacity, the way that a green card or an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) does. You are only permitted to work pursuant to the terms of the H-1B petition approved by USCIS.
If you are already in H-1B status and a petition for concurrent H-1B employment is filed for you, you won’t need to worry about whether or not there are H-1B visa numbers available that year. You have already been “counted”, and therefore the issue of the H-1B quota does not apply to you. Even if your initial H-1B was exempt from the numerical cap, you may still work concurrently for a non-exempt employer without having to be counted. This is only the case if the non-exempt employment is concurrent.
These days, we don’t have to worry much about the H-1B cap, though, since there are plenty of H-1B’s left at the moment. As of the latest count, only about 45,000 visa numbers had been used.
Tags: concurrent employment, EAD, exempt, green card, H-1B, H-1B quota, non-exempt
Posted in FAQ H-1B, H-1B | Read More »
