Must Know Things For The New H1B Visa Application Rules

The US government has started an H-1B visa registration process online with new rules. The online applications will be accepted from next month. Companies applying for an H-1B visa will have to register electronically and also new registration system has also altered the lottery process.

The USCIS(US Citizenship and Immigration Services) issues approximately 85,000 H-1B visas each year.

Things you need to know about the new H-1B visa application rules:

1. The electronic registration process will run from March 1 to March 20 and companies will have to pay a fee of $10 for each candidate. The new visa application process will streamline the process by reducing paperwork and data exchange. USCIS said the new rules would provide overall cost savings to employers.

2. The registration process requires only basic information about the employer and the employee such as the beneficiary's full name, country of citizenship, date of birth, gender, and passport number. The employee would also need a job offer letter.

3. H-1B applicants will now be randomly screened at the registration level itself. The USCIS will then notify the employer if their candidate has been selected or not. Based on the notification, an employer can file an H-1B petition within 90 days. The process of filing the H-1B petition will start on April 1.

4. USCIS Deputy Director Mark Koumans said, "By streamlining the H-1B cap selection process with a new electronic registration system, USCIS is creating cost savings and efficiencies for petitioners and the agency, as only those selected will now be required to submit a full petition."

5. The number of new H1B visas issued each year is currently limited to 65,000 and an additional 20,000 H1B visas are available only to qualified foreign workers who have a post-graduation or master's degree or higher from a US institution of higher education.