Image courtesy of the internet.
The H1b Season is once again upon us and it is a busy one! Demand appears to be a little higher than last year (or at least the same) which indicates this will be another lottery. 65000 visas are reserved for those with Bachelor’s degrees and an additional 20,000 reserved for those with Master’s degrees from the US.
For anyone wanting to file an H1b, you have just about enough time to prepare! H1bs take substantial time to prepare particular because there are pre-requisite steps to take with the Department of Labor. You must file on March 31 to reach the USCIS on April 1st. While the USCIS may leave the window open for more than one day, you must be prepared to file on the very first day. USCIS will make an annoucement closer to the time. We will keep you posted.
Here is an article from the Puget Sound Business Journal by reporter Emily Parkhurst discussing the high demand of H1bs as an indication of the economy turning positive. Local economies are always an indication of what is happening nationally. While it is good news that the economy is starting to boom again and demands for H1bs are exceeding availability, it is an important reminder that immigration reform is ever more important now.
Good luck to everyone filing for an H1b this year!