Can Foreign Tech Workers Get a Visa to Work in Chicago?

Visa

Mario A. Godoy

The health and economic crisis due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in high unemployment and job loss in the United States. On April 22, 2020, President Trump announced a 60-day immigration suspension of entry into the United States to protect American jobs during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A key exception to the immigration suspension is technology workers.

The 60-day green card immigration suspension does not apply to technology workers:

Technology Workers:
Skilled, educated foreign workers bring knowledge and expertise to American technology companies that cannot hire the needed skills.

Are You A Foreign Tech Worker Who Wants to Move to Chicago?

Guest worker visas are for foreign worker “nonimmigrants” with specific skills and knowledge needed by American businesses and industries. The guest worker visa program allows foreign workers to temporarily reside and work in the United States to perform specific work functions for a defined period of time. Business groups such as the Information Technology Industry Council vehemently protested when they learned of the Trump administration’s original plan to block all guest worker visas.

The H-1B program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or it’s equivalent. H-1B specialty occupations may include fields such as

• science

• engineering and information technology

• fields such as teaching and accounting

The new H-1B process that went into effect in 2020 for FY21 also includes an additional USCIS employer electronic registration fee of $10, which USCIS says will help employers save money. Unfortunately, the number of H-1B visas available for FY21 did not increase, and the H-1B lottery did not become easier.

Winning an H-1B lottery visa makes startups more successful, and hiring high-skilled immigrant workers can help U.S. startups get funded, win patents, and go public.

Godoy Law Firm’s business immigration attorneys can help skilled foreign tech workers move to Illinois. USCIS and the immigration lawyers at Godoy Law Office’s virtual office are open and processing immigration applications during the coronavirus.

Do you have questions about visas for foreign technology workers? Contact Godoy Law Office today at 855-554-6369 to answer your questions about immigration, help you file an immigration application and guide you through every step of the immigration process.