US resumes fast processing of some H-1B visa categories
The H1-B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require expertise in specialised fields.
By Nilesh Christopher, ET Bureau | Updated:
BENGALURU: The United States (US) will resume the premium processing for certain cap-exempt H-1B visa applications, which it had temporarily suspended after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April to toughen the rules to stop visa abuses.
“The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume premium processing for certain cap-exempt H-1B petitions effective immediately," said USCIS, the agency which overlooks the lawful immigration to the United States.
H1-B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to hire foreign talent in areas like high-tech that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields.
The usual procedure for H-1B visa processing takes about a month for the immigration services to respond. With premium processing, a company can pay extra to know within 15 days if a prospective employee is eligible for the visa.
During his campaign, Trump had promised to follow a 'Hire American' policy to protect American jobs and wages which were 'taken up by immigrants'. "The H-1B visa has an annual cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year. Additionally, there is an annual “master’s cap” of 20,000 petitions filed for beneficiaries with a U.S. master’s degree or higher," the USCIS said in the statement.
The H-1B premium processing comes in handy for Indian IT companies who send their employees to work onsite and is popular among Indian IT professionals. However, the impact of the recent announcement on the Indian IT industry is yet to be seen.
The USCIS statement said, "The premium processing will resume for petitions that may be exempt from the cap if the H-1B petitioner is: An institution of higher education, a nonprofit related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education, or a nonprofit research or governmental research organization. Premium processing will also resume for petitions that may also be exempt if the beneficiary will be employed at a qualifying cap-exempt institution, organization or entity".
“The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume premium processing for certain cap-exempt H-1B petitions effective immediately," said USCIS, the agency which overlooks the lawful immigration to the United States.
H1-B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to hire foreign talent in areas like high-tech that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields.
The usual procedure for H-1B visa processing takes about a month for the immigration services to respond. With premium processing, a company can pay extra to know within 15 days if a prospective employee is eligible for the visa.
During his campaign, Trump had promised to follow a 'Hire American' policy to protect American jobs and wages which were 'taken up by immigrants'. "The H-1B visa has an annual cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year. Additionally, there is an annual “master’s cap” of 20,000 petitions filed for beneficiaries with a U.S. master’s degree or higher," the USCIS said in the statement.
The H-1B premium processing comes in handy for Indian IT companies who send their employees to work onsite and is popular among Indian IT professionals. However, the impact of the recent announcement on the Indian IT industry is yet to be seen.
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The USCIS statement said, "The premium processing will resume for petitions that may be exempt from the cap if the H-1B petitioner is: An institution of higher education, a nonprofit related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education, or a nonprofit research or governmental research organization. Premium processing will also resume for petitions that may also be exempt if the beneficiary will be employed at a qualifying cap-exempt institution, organization or entity".
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