VISA2US Blog

Recent proposed changes to the traditional H-1B visa program have entrepreneurs sitting up and taking notes. Now, those looking to work for themselves could technically be sponsored by their company, changing the definition of “US employer” and streamlining the process of obtaining an H-1B visa. Customarily, H-1B visas are only available through a job sponsor, but now, if the proposal goes through, a beneficiary may own a controlling interest in their sponsor’s company. This suggested change has the potential to make a substantial impact on those who have waited for a visa for years. How would the new H-1B rules make it easier for entrepreneurs? We have the details here.

Finding a job you’ll be satisfied with takes on a new meaning when you’re a foreign worker heading to a new country. While getting the job offer is important, how do you know if you’ll want to stay at that place of employment for the length of your work visa? However, once you sign the terms and conditions of a visa like an H-1B, you’re tied to that particular job sponsor unless you transfer your visa to another company willing to become your new sponsor. The key is to do your research and only accept a job with a company that has a solid reputation for high employee satisfaction. Here, we’ll discuss some of the top companies in the US known for employer awareness of wellbeing.

The OPT program was designed to allow international students to work while in the US receiving a secondary education or for up to one year after graduation. Earlier changes to the program allow STEM students an optional 36-month extension. Opponents of this adaptation claim that it permits tech companies to bypass the typical H-1B work visa program, a notoriously challenging system with a limited annual quota of visas available. However, legal challenges to the OPT extension case have yet to be successful, and the last attempt at the Supreme Court level was also blocked when the Court refused to take the case. This decision to leave the OPT extension as it currently is reflects the importance of the STEM industry globally but impacts the H-1B program in general. Keep reading to learn more.

Earlier this year, we reported the release of a pilot program that would permit those in the US who need their H-1B visa stamp renewed to do so without leaving the country. While those domestic visa renewals have been delayed, there’s reason to believe it is back on track. Recently, Indian professionals were excited to hear the news directly from Eric Garcetti, India’s US Ambassador, that this renewal process would simplify visas for those in the H and L categories. What’s on the agenda for this release? Keep reading to find out.

American citizens and those affiliated with them via business, like foreign workers, held a collective breath as the days counted down to October 1 and a potential fiscal year government shutdown. If the two parties couldn’t come to a spending agreement, there would be an impasse and a federal spending moratorium until they did. Thanks to the last-minute short-term spending bill by President Biden, life in the government checkbook went on as normal — at least until November 17. With this new deadline on the horizon, the federal budget remains in dispute, and those holding an H-1B visa must act fast to keep it safe. We’ll explain why and what this means for immigration here.

Part of the visa application process includes verifying your identity. For initial visas like the H-1B category and for green cards, that includes a biometrics screening. While it might sound like advanced artificial intelligence, this is simply an appointment during which the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) collects a record of your fingerprints and takes a picture of you to cross-reference the information with the FBI database and the Department of Homeland Security. Provided you don’t have a criminal record or any run-ins with the immigration department, this is a simple step. What should you know before you go to prepare for your biometrics appointment? We’ll give you the details here.

With a valid H-1B visa, you have many of the same rights and privileges as a native US citizen for three years (with an optional three-year extension). During that time, you are allowed to live and work in the US, receiving the agreed-upon salary covered in the terms of your visa. But with those privileges comes responsibilities, including the requirement to pay taxes. How do you know what taxes you must file as an H-1B holder? We have that information here in this guide.

One of the most popular work visas, the H-1B, has always had strict requirements to get and keep its validity. But now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is trying to amend some of these requirements and oversight. The proposed rule affects H-1B specialty occupation employees and F-1 students who have filed H-1B Cap Subject Petitions. What does this rule include, and how might it affect you? We’ll break it down here.

When you employ foreign workers (or you are the employee), particularly with H-1B visa holders, the terms “E-Verify” and “H-1B portability” often show up. While neither is universal, they are essential in certain aspects of the immigration world. What do these terms mean, and how are they related? We’ll explain those answers here.

October is a big deal for the government, particularly in the immigration sector. October 1 is the start of the new fiscal year, and a new round of H-1B workers have begun the jobs they worked so hard to obtain. But October is also when the Diversity Visa (Green Card) lottery opens. This year, the window started on October 4. What is this lottery, and could it help you? Keep reading to find out.