H-1B Visa Scramble is Nigh
The perennial rush is on for the new round of U.S. H-1B immigration visas, the permits that allow U.S. companies to hire foreign skilled employees.
Beginning tomorrow (technically April 2), the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services opens the doors for applications covering FY2008 (which begins October 1, 2007). The cap on these visas — long the crux of an important ongoing debate in Congress and around the country — currently is set at 65,000 permits for skilled workers with 20,000 extra visas set aside for those with advanced degrees.
Most of you likely are aware of the H-1B issue relative to whether the U.S. should raise or lower the overall cap on visa permits. Many are starting to argue that there should be no cap at all, that skilled immigrants contribute inestimable value to America’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As it stands, Congress is in the middle of sorting out a new policy in regard to the cap. One question is whether a real groundswell arises in the short term among U.S. companies to pressure the government into dealing substantively with the cap.
Policy issues notwithstanding, take a look a this informative article in workpermit.com for more on the H-1B.