The annual H1b application filing window is about to open and like other years, demand is likely to exceed supply. There are 65,000 visa available for those with Bachelor’s degrees and an additional 20,000 reserved for those with a Master’s degree from a US university. Last year, the government received over 172,500 petitions, practically double of what is available. It is expected that similar numbers, if not more, will be received this year.
If you are an employer thinking about applying for an H1b for an employee or potential employee, now is the time to start preparing. The application must be filed on March 31st to reach USCIS on April 1st. The start date for working will be October 1st, 2015. If you have a student on optional practical training (OPT) working for you- that student can continue working on ‘cap-gap’ until October 1st, if their OPT were to expire before that date.
Preparation for H1bs need careful consideration on many fronts, particularly if the employer has not filed one before, or if the employer is a small business (as those receive more scrutiny than others). Therefore, several weeks of preparation is needed for these applications.
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