US Will Start the H-1B Application Process for the Year in March 2020

There was a US scrapping of an old rule In January that allowed companies in filing applications to get the short work- permit provided to technology workers. As a substitute they had to register the names of professionals they intended to send.

The US is all set start this process to grant H-1B work visas for the Fiscal Year 2021 from March, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services playing a leading role in it. The Homeland Security Department last week stated that it will finalize the names out of the registered list to apply for the H-1 B visa by 31st March.

The authorities intend to cut the costs/time for applicants in the process. The company must pay $10 for registering the name of applicants. $4,500 as the application fee for an H-1B visa must be paid when the candidates are selected.

Some of the experts are concerned that this visa processing will be delayed under the new set up.

Routinely, the H-1B season begins in March and goes on till April. Presently, it will run from early March on the beginning of registration until 31st July 2020.

Fundamentally, the fact is that USCIS will take a long time to adjudicate the cases and most of the companies and overseas nationals will miss the starting date of October 1st.

On registration, employers have to give basic information in relation to the candidates and the company. On selecting the candidates through an online lottery, companies must file the complete H-1B visa application on their behalf. Indians benefit from the H-1B visas issued by the US to avail of the services of greatly qualified professionals for working in the country.

Each year, USCIS issues 65,000 H-1B visas, and there are additional 20,000 for the students having a master’s degree. Since President Trump assumed the charge, the US has constantly declined to issue more visas to employees belonging to the exporters’ of Indian software who used this work permit in favor of professionals to the US serving the client projects.

Additionally, it favored technology companies belonging to the US like Google, Apple and Face book.

Consequently, the rate of rejection of H-1B applications of Indian IT companies has soared to 24% in 2019 from 6% in 2015. In 2019, eight (of the ten companies) receiving the most H-1B visas were actually the non-Indian companies. The immigration process is more refined now but the regulations areas before, and this will continue in the future also. The authorities are focused and companies have applied, for many visas.

The situation will remain the same as President Trump seeks a second term in November 2020.