The H1-B is for skilled foreign professionals with at least bachelor’s degrees to work in the United States in fields such as computer science, architecture, medicine, dentistry, engineering, accounting and more. An H-1B visa may be appropriate for those whose careers are in specialty occupations with complex duties. The FY21 H-1B application process includes a new electronic registration process that will “dramatically streamline processing by reducing paperwork and data exchange, and will provide an overall cost savings to petitioning employers,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
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.
Key dates for the FY21 H-1B application process are:
• Feb 24th 2020: Starts H-1B Employer Account Registration
• March 1st through March 20th, 2020: H-1B Registration Period
• By March 31st, 2020: H-1B Registration Selection Results
The annual cap for FY 2021 is once again 65,000 H-1B visas. If USCIS receives more than 65,000 petitions during the first five business days, which is extremely likely to happen, they will use a computer-generated lottery to select the number of petitions needed to meet the cap. For the past 7 years, the cap was met within five days.
Read More:
• H-1B Visas for Foreign Nurses
• New H-1B Visa Filing Fee
Godoy Law Firm’s experienced Illinois business immigration attorneys can assist foreign nurses and a wide range of professional occupation H-1B visa applicants. If you have a question about immigration employment in Illinois, contact the experienced immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office.
