US to Revamp H-1B Process: Will it Attract More Top Talent?

Updated on Jul 14, 2024 | Online US Visa

H-1B visas are entry tickets for talented individuals willing to extend their careers in the United States of America. Many youth have seen job dreams abroad in their eyes. But as everyone has heard, this famous phrase, "All that glitter is not gold," is applicable here. This specified visa attracts non-immigrant worldwide job hunters for occupations like science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM) fields along with many other challenges.

In fiscal year (FY) 2021, about 274,237 applications were registered, while FY 2024 saw 780,884 registrations. It raises the chance of fraud by many sponsors in the huge crowd of applications. Consequently, Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has implemented some new actions to restrain the scam. It impacts foreign professionals with a bachelor's degree or equivalent who can serve their expertise to the US workforce. Let's explore each crucial point regarding the updated H-1B visa process.

Existing H-1B Visa Process

An H1B visa allows U.S. companies to hire skilled international workers who bring new ideas and energy. First, let's review the key factors:

Employer sponsorship

Newcomers often wonder, "What is employment sponsorship?" It is a fundamental backbone of the process.

  • A US employer provides guaranteed legal work rights to the US visa authority against job seekers.
  • This sponsorship requires the employer to file a labor condition application with the Department of Labor, detailing your fair wages and working conditions.

H1B Visa Requirements

One must know about the leading requirements.

  • You must have a bachelor's degree or demonstrate equivalent experience in the field. The reason is clear: any job requires specific knowledge, including theoretical and practical.

H-1B Visa Lottery

There are limited seats for visa reservations. After getting many applications, USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) found a new way, i.e., the H-1B lottery. They pick applications from the pools of lack of registrations. In this way, many employees lose a chance to fulfill their dreams.

How to apply for an H-1B visa?

  • After choosing your name in the lottery, your employer has to submit your petition for Form I-129 to USCIS.
  • That time, you must provide an accurate passport, transcript details, and CV.
  • It's time to make payment. You have to pay an application fee, a progress fee, a registration fee, etc.

USCIS procedures

  • The authority will verify the application's authenticity and ensure it aligns with the employer's documentation.
  • The time it takes to process an application can be long, depending on when the application was submitted.

Drawbacks of the latest procedures

  • Long processing time. Sometimes it takes months to finalize the selection process. Thus, it becomes a headache for employers and applicants alike.
  • The other failure of the system is the quota and lottery. It creates complications for desperate ones.
  • Of course, money. This specific visa has a high application fee and legal costs for both parties. However, it varies per visa type; for example, the ESTA application fee is mentioned here.

The above factors reduce the chance for skilled workers to contribute their services to the US workforce.

DHS’s Strategic Move

On October 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a smashing decision on the H-1B visa program under the Congress-mandated 60,000 limit every year. As a result, it opens doors for top talents. Let's see its core actions’ impacts.

Fostering Attraction for Leading Skills

Fair Selection

The changed process gives a fair chance to each registration. Every applicant has the right to come through the selection process once. It allows the employer to locate the most suitable individual for their requirements. Before that, the selection process goes through the H1B visa lottery process, which is completely unfair.

Enriched Transparency

Previously, there were several registrations submitted to authorities on behalf of one person. After this step, there is clarity in the selection process. Now, one applicant can submit only one registration to go ahead with the H1B visa process. Also, it gives more legitimate career opportunities to the same business.

Possibilities for F-1 Students & Entrepreneurs

This proposed change opens possibilities for F1 visa-holder students. They can change their visa status to an H1b visa and have the option to work with the US workforce. In other words, we can say they can serve their knowledge well against nice incomes.

Improving Efficiency and Integrity

Streamlined Processing

Overseas workers and US business owners can benefit from fast-paced approvals for qualified employers.

Boosted Exemptions

There is a circumstance for some quota-holder candidates to get hired by talent selectors. It is possible after these amazing transformations.

Battling Fraud

It saves the time of selectors. It used to be hard to find the best way to apply for a visa. The reason is simple: there are many registrations under one name. Now there is a rule: one regulation for one person.

Benefits from the revamped H-1B process

DHS's commitments to the new selection process attract more job hunters to the USA. Also, it has

  • The first one is economic growth. A skilled hunter can boost the productivity of a business by putting forth innovative ideas. That automatically enhances economic success.
  • It gives a fair prospect for US employers to pick any candidate from anywhere in this accounting era.
  • Of course, last but not least is knowledge transfer. In this competitive world, everyone has their own skills. People have unique knowledge and tricks to work creatively. This process is a boom for those workers to bring a storm to enrich the workforce.

Conclusion

We can hope for the best future for every H-1B visa applicant. The US leader's selection analyzer step invites global talent to work here and be rich for yourself and your employer too. If you still need any assistance with the visa process, don't worry. Feel free to reach out! We'll be in touch soon to help answer any visa-related questions you have.

One more thing if you come under VWP (Visa Waiver Program) and make your business deals hassle-free. You can check your eligibility to complete the process instantly.

READ MORE:
The United States is the most sought after destination for higher studies by millions of students from all over the world. With numerous famous universities and colleges in the USA it is not surprising that international students choose to study in the USA.

Portuguese citizens, Dutch citizens, Swede citizens, and Spanish citizens can apply online for ESTA US Visa.

 
ESTA US Visa Application