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THOUSANDS OF H-1B VISAS ARE STILL AVAILABLE BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2009!

            In a tough economy for United States employers, thousands of H-1B visas remain available for qualified applicants who have earned at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in academic and professional experience.  The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) reports that there are still almost twenty thousand H-1B visas available for the government’s coming fiscal year, which begins October 1, 2009.  USCIS - Cap Count for H-1B and H-2B Workers for Fiscal Year 2010.htm  This is the first time in recent memory that the H-1B visa quota, currently 65,000 visas, plus 20,000 additional for applicants with U.S. Masters degrees, has remained unfilled at the beginning of the October 1^st start date.

            In order to qualify for an H-1B visa, a U.S. employer must have a job opening that requires at least a bachelor’s degree as a minimum qualification for the job and the employer must certify to the Department of Labor that the employer will pay the non-citizen the prevailing wage for the position.  An H-1B visa holder is normally authorized to work for the H-1B employer for three years initially and the H-1B visa can be extended for up to six years.

            To learn more about the H-1B visa program or to discuss a specific opportunity with one of NELSON | SMITH’s attorneys, please contact us at:  jane@visaoregon.com or call our office to schedule a consultation at:  503-224-8600.