USA - H-1B visa programme has been suspended for six months

[Sudhakar]

American H-1B visa programme has been suspended for six months

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that in order to clear a backlog of regular H-1B visa applications, it is suspending for six months a programme that allowed some companies to jump to the head of the queue for quicker processing of H-1B visas by paying a special fee.

This is not a suspension of the H-1B visas, but only of the "Premium Processing", which allows companies to pay $1,125 to go to the top of the line ahead of those waiting for applications to be processed, the USCIS said on Friday.

"This temporary suspension will help us to reduce overall H-1B processing times", it added.

H-1B visas are temporary work visas for people with special qualifications and it is used mostly by Indian techies.

The "Premium Programme" suspension is to come into effect from April 3.

Under "Premium Processing", a decision is made on H-1B application within 15 days, while the regular applications take more than three months - period that has lengthened because of the surge in "Premium Processing" applications

source : https://www.techgig.com/tech-news/This-H-1B-visa-programme-has-been-suspended-for-six-months-95361

[Sudhakar]

H-1B visas: Indian IT companies may get some more time

"This will improve the number of black, Hispanic and female workers in Silicon Valley who have been passed over in favour of the H-1B programme," it says.

The immigration reform bill, 'Protect and Grow American Jobs Act', is aimed at ensuring that US based companies consider American workers before hiring foreign workers who are currently employed at lower wages.

The bill, sponsored by California Republican Representative Darrell Issa, is now under review of the American House of Representatives.

The new season for applying for the H-1B visa starts on April 1 and the visas will be granted from October 1, according to people familiar with the matter.


US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) advises that "it is important to plan in advance if you will be filing for an H-1B visa that is subject to the annual H-1B numerical cap"."The visa aspirants are well aware of the USCIS advice. So, most likely they will plan in advance and apply for the H-1B visa before the deadline.


Most likely, the USCIS might continue with the current visa rules for another year," said an Indian American, who did not wish to be identified.

More information here - https://www.techgig.com/tech-news/H-1B-visas-Indian-IT-companies-may-get-some-more-time-97706

[aswinnandha]

the h1-b visa has strict to have employee visa
this US government has follow many rules