Bad times means GOOD times for the H-1B visa

 

• The recession and the lingering effects thereof have had a "positive" effect on the availability on H-1B visas. In December 2009, the last available H-1B visa was approved. 2010 proved to be no different.
  Compare this to the situation before the recession hit when the available visas used to disappear within 24 hours from the start of the application period!
  Why is this so important? The H-1B visa is the visa of choice for most corporations when bringing in foreign employees/specialists to work in the United States. When the number of available visas dropped in 2003 from 195,000 to 65,000 it proved to be devastating for a great many companies in the U.S., which weren't able to bring in essential specialists to help compete in the market place.
  The next opportunity to apply for an H-B visa is April 1, 2011, for positions starting October 1, 2011. I recommend that companies and individuals start preparing for their filings well in advance. The economy is slowly turning around, and as the optimism grows so will the demand for H-1Bs.
  You have an excellent opportunity to apply for an available H-1B visa next spring, but do not count on getting a visa in June and certainly not in December 2011.
  Please note: For applicants with a U.S. master's degree there are an additional 20,000 visas available every (fiscal) year.
  
  The H-1B classification high lights:
  
  * Specialty occupation.
  * Bachelor's degree or the equivalent or at least 12 years of experience in the field.
  * Duration of stay up to six years.
  * Under this classification the visa holder can apply for a green card.
  * Family members can join.
  Using "premium processing" you can have your visa processed and approved by the USCIS withing 16 working days thereby avoiding months of waiting for a decision.