VISA2US Blog

Each country has its own requirements in place that determine how foreign individuals may enter and work within its borders. In the United States, visa categories like J-1 Exchange Visitors and H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers are popular. The two visas have certain similarities in which they overlap in qualifications, but overall, they are distinctly different. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know to understand J-1 versus H-1B visas.

As the dramatic saga of Fiscal Year 2023 comes to its official close, those unable to secure an H-1B visa begin to look toward FY 2024 with hope. Still others, like you, may not have a sponsor yet but are actively searching for related companies in their industry. The good news is there is still time! Next year’s registration period won’t begin until March or April. However, you don’t want to wait until the last minute to find a sponsor. If you’re not sure where to start, use this guide to help you connect with a qualifying United States employer who will handle your H-1B visa in FY 2024.

The H-1B visa system is a popular avenue used by skilled foreign workers to expand their professional skills across borders and into the United States. While there are numerous benefits that come with this visa category, the downside to an H-1B is the need to wait for strict filing dates and hope that your registration is chosen in the random lottery, where a cap of 65,000 regular and 20,000 advanced registrants are selected to move forward and file a petition. But there’s a way around this limitation if you can find a cap-exempt employer, and those in the scholarly field often meet the conditions to do this quite naturally. Read on to find out if a scholar you know (or you yourself) can skip the lottery process and obtain an H-1B more easily.

Since the pandemic, the world has moved to an increasingly online business presence. This makes it possible for burgeoning entrepreneurs to feel safe stepping out of the corporate box and starting a business of their own. These individuals and their associated companies, known as “startups,” may want to hire foreign workers outside of the United States, but they need a visa to do so. The most popular work visa is the H-1B, but is this a potential avenue for startups? Read on to find out.

There are many legal avenues provided to foreign nationals who wish to enter the United States through a visa. The type of visa necessary for each person depends on factors like their reason for entry, how long they plan to stay, and what they intend to do once they’re in the US. Two of the most popular visa categories are the H-1B and L-1B. Although they sound similar, they’re distinctly different. In this blog, we’ll compare and contrast each one to help you understand which is best for your needs.

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.

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.