VISA2US Blog

The H-1B Fiscal Year for 2024 officially begins on October 1, 2023. However, there's still a lot of confusion about which registrations will proceed with the petition process and whether "not selected" is the official status for hundreds of thousands of this year's registrants. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) department announced on July 31, 2023, that it reached sufficient petitions to meet the congressional mandates. This announcement includes the regular cap of 65,000 and the advanced degree exemption cap of 20,000. What does this mean for you, and should you give up on this fiscal year? Keep reading to learn more.

By now, you’ve heard of the unusual circumstances surrounding the H-1B lottery for FY 2024. The H-1B visa program is a vital part of the labor force in the United States and foreign countries. It was designed to ensure businesses in industries like science, technology, engineering, mathematics, healthcare, and education could fill essential positions requiring skilled workers. However, the program runs under a “cap” imposed decades ago by Congress, resulting in the creation of a random lottery that is intended to give every registrant an equal chance at selection. But the past two years have increasingly shown more attempts at fraud and a need for an overhaul of the H-1B policy. Let’s take a look at 2022 versus 2023’s H-1B petition analysis here.

Countless movies around the world hint at the realities behind getting a green card in the United States. But unless you’re in the system, filling out forms and waiting patiently for your particular dates to show up on the Visa Bulletin, you don’t understand the nuances and stresses involved. One company, the Cato Institute, wants to change this and ensure the general public learns about the difficulties that arise when you’re pursuing permanent residence through a green card as a foreign worker. Who is the Cato Institute, and what does their game include? We have that information here.

Obtaining an H-1B visa is essential when living and working in the United States as a foreign national. This coveted document is the evidence you must present to US Customs and Border Protection before stepping foot in America. But what happens when you must leave the country for a while and return? Here is the information you need to know to travel and re-enter the US on an H-1B visa.

If you’ve been paying attention to the immigration news in 2023, you’ve seen the problems that arose from this year’s H-1B random lottery selection. With so many allegations of fraud, it seemed like the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services would almost have to start the selection process over from scratch. While studies are still ongoing regarding the prevalence of fraudulent registrations and potential new registrants, many opponents of the system are arguing that the lottery is obsolete and should be replaced. What’s going on behind the scenes? We’ll give you the details here.

When you’re trying to obtain an H-1B visa, you must abide by specific beginning and ending dates, and these aren’t always optimal. This can be particularly concerning when you’re a student finishing your university program with a gap between your last day of school and your first day at your new job. Since this is relatively common, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a process in place to streamline your H-1B petition and allow you to remain in the US with a cap gap extension.

National Interest Waivers are a special kind of document that allows the foreign beneficiary to live and work in the US without a job sponsor. To qualify, the individual must prove that their skills and expertise make them of “national interest,” which can be a significant challenge. Many careers fall into this realm naturally, including those in STEM and healthcare fields. However, as an attorney, you can challenge the government with evidence that shows you, too, are crucial, and we’ll explain how to do that here.

As a highly skilled professional wishing to work in the US and obtain a green card, you have various options available to you. While most people use the general route of an H-1B visa, there are limitations to this that may not be suitable for you. When you have an advanced degree or an exceptional ability in your field, an EB-2 National Interest Waiver can let you skip the strict requirements of a job offer and other hurdles involved in those visa petitions and propel you to the front line for a green card. We’ll explain how this works in this short blog.

Receiving an H-1B visa is an impressive accomplishment when you’re a foreign worker with the goal of working in the United States. Not everyone who pursues this path is able to navigate it successfully, but you did. However, once it’s in your hands (and in the USCIS system), that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed. There are certain situations in which the government can revoke an approved request, petition, or application. Called a NOIR (Notice of Intent to Revoke), this action isn’t something you want to happen to your visa. Keep reading to understand how to prevent or learn how to handle the steps after receiving a NOIR.

The Visa Bulletin, released monthly by the US Department of State, is read by those visa petitioners still awaiting their priority dates and forward movement for their green cards. Usually, this document is mostly predictable with the occasional surprising changes, but September 2023’s bulletin brings some major news that we’ll explain here.