VISA2US Blog

Foreign nationals who enter the US via the temporary visa route, like a work or student visa, often decide to stay permanently. They must apply for lawful permanent residency and obtain a green card to do this. Not all visas permit this path, but the H-1B category, also called a dual-intent visa, does, all without needing to leave the country. You just need to file an Adjustment of Status (AOS) and go through the green card process, and we’ll explain how to do that here.

The H-1B visa system is a popular avenue used by skilled foreign workers to expand their professional skills across borders and into the United States. While there are numerous benefits that come with this visa category, the downside to an H-1B is the need to wait for strict filing dates and hope that your registration is chosen in the random lottery, where a cap of 65,000 regular and 20,000 advanced registrants are selected to move forward and file a petition. But there’s a way around this limitation if you can find a cap-exempt employer, and those in the scholarly field often meet the conditions to do this quite naturally. Read on to find out if a scholar you know (or you yourself) can skip the lottery process and obtain an H-1B more easily.

Receiving an H-1B visa is an impressive accomplishment when you’re a foreign worker with the goal of working in the United States. Not everyone who pursues this path is able to navigate it successfully, but you did. However, once it’s in your hands (and in the USCIS system), that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed. There are certain situations in which the government can revoke an approved request, petition, or application. Called a NOIR (Notice of Intent to Revoke), this action isn’t something you want to happen to your visa. Keep reading to understand how to prevent or learn how to handle the steps after receiving a NOIR.

The United States government is constantly striving to protect its national workers while also bringing in skilled workers to help bolster the economy. One form of legislation designed to assist in this goal is the POWER Act, short for Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act. This legislation expands relief coverage for workers who suffer serious labor violations, provided they cooperate with the worker protection agencies involved in their case. Since H-1B visas are the predominant work category, anyone with this document should know about the POWER Act.

If you’ve paid attention to the immigration climate in the United States, you’ve heard about the massive layoffs in the tech sector. Many of these workers were H-1B visa holders who rely on steady employment to keep their legal status in the country. Per the H-1B visa’s terms, workers have 60 days to find another employer willing to sponsor their visa status, or they must return to their home country. But with so many people searching for work within similar industries, this is a challenging endeavor. However, a recent workaround may keep thousands of these laid-off tech workers in the US legally while they look for employment, even after their 60-day grace period ends by changing from an H-1B to a B-1 or B-2 visa.

No one wants to leave their families behind when they move to a different country, even if the move is temporary. Yet, many work visas are for the individual document holder only. That’s why the H-1B category is such a coveted visa: it allows the holder, their spouse, and any dependent children to come with them and stay for the length of the visa’s terms. But beyond that, there are other benefits to the H-1B visa that make it the “family-friendly” way to get into the US, as we’ll discuss here.

As technology continues to streamline life, government officials are quickly jumping on board. Tasks that once took hours are now automated, and some travelers will notice these big changes in 2023. Instead of the manual process of reviewing passports and applying the requisite stamps, electronic entry systems using biometrics have been unveiled. This system, called e-Gates, is expected to speed up the process of customs entry, reduce human error, and, essentially, replace customs officers in standard interactions. What do you need to know about traveling through e-Gates with your H-1B visa? Read on to find out!

In mid-2022, foreign workers in the tech industry were hit with an unpleasant surprise. Many who had planned for their employers to sponsor a green card transfer were put on hold as mega-corporations like Google halted the process. The massive layoffs across the IT sector meant thousands of skilled American workers were actively searching for jobs, a fact that negated that part of a sponsor’s required attestation. But this green card hold created a backlog of processing with a ripple effect: the US could no longer compete with other countries for some of the top global talents. Something had to be done, and the government and IT industries were working behind the scene to fix this issue. What are the results? Here, we have the latest “Google” green card backlog updates.

Before COVID, H-1B levels were significantly higher than the availability of visas. But when the embassies and consulates were shut down, and international borders were limited, so were the visa requests and approvals. This has affected US businesses relying on specialized workers to fill vacancies, but the good news is around the corner. Reports from the Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Visa Issuance organization show that these numbers are almost back to normal.

The H-1B visa program has been in place for decades. Since its inception, it has stayed somewhat consistent, but the ongoing changes in the world, particularly since COVID, along with the increasing cost of living, have forced many new policies. Here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions about the latest guidelines, along with their answers.