The highly anticipated H1B filing season for fiscal year 2023-24 will officially begin on March 1, when the US immigration agency will begin accepting applications for skilled foreign worker visas, the most sought after by professionals. IT Indians.
The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialized occupations that require theoretical or technical knowledge. Tech companies rely on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said that for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2023, it will accept applications between March 1 and March 17 for H-1B visas that allow them to work and Live in the US for up to six years in specialized fields such as technology, engineering, and medicine.
After six years, it opens the way to permanent residence or Green Card.
“If we receive enough records by March 17, we will randomly select records and send selection notifications through users’ myUSCIS online accounts. If we do not receive enough registrations, all registrations that were successfully submitted in the initial registration period will be selected,” the USCIS said.
“We intend to notify account holders by March 31,” a press release said. USCIS said it would release additional information in the coming weeks.
H1B visa awards are capped at 85,000 visas per year, with 20,000 of them reserved for workers with advanced degrees from US institutions. The remaining 65,000 visas are awarded through a lottery system, making competition for H1B visas fierce.
The high demand for H1B visas has led to calls for reforms to the program, with many advocating an increase in the number of visas available and a simplification of the application process. Proponents argue that the H-1B program is crucial to maintaining America’s position as a world leader in technology and innovation while supporting the country’s economy.
