The High Demand of an H-1B Visa
What makes an H-1B visa so sought after that there are entire sectors of the government devoted to running them? The reality is that these visas stem from the need for skilled workers to fill essential positions when there’s a shortage of American nationals to perform the roles.
The H-1B category offers an avenue into the United States that other visas don’t: the dual intent path. Beneficiaries of an H-1B can enter the US, gain employment, rent and buy homes, and bring their families with them. While they’re there, if they decide they want to stay in the country permanently, they can begin the steps to obtain Permanent Lawful Residency (aka a Green Card).
The path to obtaining an H-1B is challenging, and most applicants use a legal expert like Visa2US to help them complete the paperwork and juggle deadlines. Petitioners must have a job offer from an approved sponsor willing to pay the hefty fees associated with this process.
While those funds go toward running the government agency tasked with immigration, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), they also cover projects related to nonimmigrants and immigrants.
Highly Skilled Foreign Workers and Training of Nationals
If you’re considering employment in the US, but aren’t sure how to get there, it’s time to look at the requirements for an H-1B visa for highly skilled foreign nationals. One way to do that is to look at the training programs and grants the Department of Labor provides Americans to try to get them up to par with skilled nonimmigrants.
These grants provide training, education, and hands-on activities to the general worker, helping them gain the necessary competencies and skills to bolster their resumes in crucial industries like IT and health. The overall idea is to reduce dependency on foreign labor, but with such a massive deficit in employment, and tens of thousands of vacancies each year, the US will continue to need skilled employees from other countries.
One training avenue offered by the DOL is the program, “Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs.” This grant funds public-private partnerships geared toward worker-centered strategies in infrastructure. This includes jobs in sectors such as information technology, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy occupations, and broadband infrastructure sectors.
Should you, too, have skills that lead you to this industry, the fact that there’s a government training program designed to build more workers here means your capabilities are in high demand. If you don’t already have all the qualifications to meet the H-1B visa requirements, work with a legal immigration expert to determine what you need to do to get there.
A second grant focuses on the Nurse Education Professional Track. Currently, the US has a shortage of qualified nurses in the workforce, creating a reliance on skilled foreign workers under H-1B and similar work visas. The Nurse Educational Professional Track seeks to increase nursing instructor and educator positions in the advanced postsecondary field.
If healthcare is your passion, nursing is a great avenue to get into for H-1B visa approval. You may even qualify for employment with a cap-exempt employer, avoiding the lottery system that limits how many visas are allocated annually. The US needs healthcare workers in frontline positions, academic areas, and direct care positions.
Healthcare occupations include behavioral and mental healthcare, as well. The need for skilled, qualified healthcare workers has risen since the pandemic, and grants are used to expand employment, train new workers, and fill vacancies.
What’s Next?
The journey to a career in the United States can be a long process, but the fact that you’re researching your options now says you’re more likely to be successful. Currently, the US government is in dire need of workers in the IT and healthcare fields. If that’s you, contact Visa2US to see if you qualify for an H-1B path, and what your next steps should be.
Don’t wait until the last minute to try to get your visa. It can take months, and sometimes years, to have your request approved. Call or message our friendly professionals at Visa2US, and let us make the process easier for you!
