VISA2US Blog

Getting the notice from USCIS that your H-1B visa petition was approved is exciting! All that hard work and stress has paid off, and you’re almost on your way to your new career in the United States. But there’s one more important hurdle to get through before you’re officially a US nonimmigrant working and living in the country: the visa stamping process. What does this process involve, and how have the changes in 2023 affected it? Read on to find out!

When you file for an H-1B visa, the process is always high-stress. Will your application get chosen in the lottery? If so, will the petition get approved by USCIS? Your future job position hinges on those yes answers, but lately, many applicants are receiving an “Intent to Deny” instead of a yes or no. What does this mean, and how can you avoid getting this dreaded response? Read on to find out.

Immigrants and nonimmigrants around the world have been hard hit by the global shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although most businesses have returned back to their “new normal,” one sector that continues to feel the restrictions is that of US visa services through consulates and embassies. Many countries have minor restrictions that allow consulate and embassy representatives to conduct interviews, while others remain shut down for the foreseeable future. Where does your country stand? Read on to find out how some of the most common countries for H-1B visa approvals are currently faring.

The 2023-2024 H-1B season is just beginning, and US employers are ramping up their efforts to get their registrations selected in the lottery. If you’re one of them or the hopeful foreign worker relying on the visa for your next career move, this time is crucial. With hundreds of thousands of applicants and a limited amount of visas, you need to do what you can to give your registration a leg up over the rest. One way to do that is to obtain a master’s degree or higher. We’ll give you the details here on how this advanced degree can increase your chances of an H-1B visa approval.

Before COVID, H-1B levels were significantly higher than the availability of visas. But when the embassies and consulates were shut down, and international borders were limited, so were the visa requests and approvals. This has affected US businesses relying on specialized workers to fill vacancies, but the good news is around the corner. Reports from the Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Visa Issuance organization show that these numbers are almost back to normal.

Early in every year, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announce the registration period for the upcoming fiscal year H-1B cap. The fiscal year 2024’s was officially shared with the public on January 27, 2023. This means employers and H-1B foreign workers are scrambling to prepare their documents to be ready for noon, March 1, Eastern Standard Time (EST). Here’s what you should know about these deadlines.

If you’re looking at obtaining an H-1B visa, you know that it’s a highly competitive goal. With more people applying than there are visas allocated, and a random lottery process on top of that, you need to ensure you follow all the steps to boost your odds of approval. Here are some of the top tips that will give you the best chance at one of these coveted H-1B visas.

As tech layoffs continue rising, many H-1B visa holders remain in limbo. Some are concerned that they’ll be the next to face the dreaded pink slip, while others are actively trying to look for a new employer to sponsor their visa. This problem extends to those seeking green cards, as labor certification approvals were recently paused. These delays in processing mean your H-1B visa deadline could expire before your green card application is entered into the system. What can you do while you wait? This article gives you some ideas to make this time in limbo more productive.

The H-1B visa is for foreign workers in specialty occupations, and the technology field clearly meets this definition. It’s not surprising that an overwhelming majority of these visas are given to those employed in the tech industry. Yet, this leaves the industry — and thousands of workers — prone to serious problems when the market causes substantial layoffs. That’s what is happening now, and if you’re one of the visa holders facing job loss, you’re not alone. The good news is that USCIS recognizes this is a mass issue, and they’re offering you hope.

Thousands of US companies employ H-1B visa holders every year. It’s a system designed to ensure the success of the country’s economy. But when your business is deemed “H-1B dependent,” you must follow particular immigration rules and regulations that are much stricter than the average H-1B employer. If USCIS or your lawyer has labeled you in this category (or close to it), keep these requirements in mind as you go through your daily routines.