H1B Visa

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[edit] The Basics

The H-1B is a visa category that allows American companies and universities to temporarily employ foreign workers who have the equivalent to a US Bachelor's Degree. H-1B employees are employed temporarily in a job category that is considered to be a "specialty occupation". A specialty occupation is one that requires theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge along with at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. For example, architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts may be considered to be specialty occupations.

It should be noted though that for many of these specialty occupations, such as law and medical doctors, a bachelor's degree alone is not sufficient as the US equivilant is usually a graduate degree.


[edit] Requirements

Some of the requirements include:

  • A degree, or 3 years experience in the field for each year missing of study, so 12 years if you have no university study.
  • Universities do not have a quota cap, but other businesses do, which means the visa allocation fills up quickly, within a day.
  • Your employer may apply for the visa in April 1st, for a visa start date of Oct 1st.
  • Your employer is responsible for the visa application fee's, you may be responsible for the legal fee's and for premium processing, but a respectable company wouldn't ask you to pay any of the associated costs.

[edit] Pro's

  • It has dual intent, meaning you can have your employer apply for a Greencard


[edit] Con's

  • Spouses would receive an H4, meaning that they cannot work at all
  • Unless your EB1 category, it can take many years to get a Greencard
  • Visa number allotment isn't very high, so they fill up quickly
  • You are tied to your employer

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