What is an H-1B Visa ? Check Application Process, Eligibility & Fee

• Written by Nidhi Goyal

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An opportunity to work and settle in the United States is like a dream come true. It assures you of not only a promising career but an opulent life as well. However, there is an essential formality you need to fulfil to become eligible to work and settle in the US- getting the H-1B visa.

Wondering what an H1-B visa is? Due to increasing demand for this visa category, only a limited number of visas can be issued annually. For FY 2023, the US government has set the upper limit for H-1B Visas at 65,000 per fiscal year.

However, there is some good news— a surplus threshold of 20,000 visas is available for applicants with a post-graduation or higher degree.

This article will discuss how to get an H-1B visa from India and how to complete its registration process quickly.

What is H-1B visa?

The H-1B visa is a type of work visa that the U.S. administration provides to nonimmigrant employees worldwide with specialised skills to work in the United States for 3 years, can be extended up to 6 years. . This type of visa is required for technical occupations that involve professional expertise such as information technology, finance, engineering, architecture, or more.

Also Read: What is a Visa Number?

What are the Eligibility Criteria for H-1B Visa?

Here are the H-1B visa requirements or the eligibility criteria to qualify for the H-1B visa process to get employed under a speciality occupation:

• You must have a bachelor’s or higher degree from a prominent college or university in the United States with a specialisation in the related field you seek to work in.
• You may also apply with a foreign degree, which is equivalent to the US bachelor’s or higher degree in the discipline related to your speciality occupation from a prominent college or university,
• Additionally, you must possess an unrestricted state license, registration, or certification endorsing you to perform the specialised services. The endorsement must allow you to initiate the speciality service immediately in the state and city of intended employment.

Who is Eligible for the H-1B Visa?

The US administration provides H-1B visas to professionals in different kinds of speciality occupations that involve theoretical and practical (technical) expertise. Given below is the list of speciality occupations for which the US administration approves the H-1B visa application:

• IT professionals
• Professors and teachers
• Architects
• Engineers
• Healthcare personnel— Doctors, Dentists, Surgeons and Nursing staff
• Scientists
• Lawyers
• Accountants
• Management consultants
• Financial Analysts
• Journalists and media persons
• Foreign Law advisors
• Psychologists
• Technical academic writers

Also Read: What are the L1 Visa Eligibility Criteria?

Documents Required for H-1B Visa Application

If you meet all the criteria and H-1B visa requirements related to your academic background, you must now be prepared with the following documents to apply for the H-1B visa:

• Petition to be filed in Form I-129 (Both in Online & Offline Modes)
• Labour Condition Application (LCA) approved by the U.S. Department of Labor
• Copy of your updated CV
• Copy of the job offer given by your employer, mentioning the job description
• Degree Certificate
• Copy of your passport
• Proof of previous employment
• Original certifications, endorsements or other proof of your accomplishments
• Copy of your transcripts, i.e. mark sheet
• Letter from your present employer substantiating your visit to the US for work
• Letter from the registrar certifying the successful qualifying of your educational credits

How to Get an H-1B Visa From India?

If you wish to apply for a new H-1B visa, consider whether your occupation falls under the speciality occupation list. If it does, you must register on the USCIS portal. While you may consult an attorney or gazetted officer to create your account and register on your behalf manually, that may become a tedious process.

All you need to do is—

• Create a new account on the USCIS portal.
• After successfully creating your USCIS account, you must create a separate account to file your H-1B Visa registration.
• Thereafter, you will be directed to pay the registration fee.
• Next, enter all the essential details about your employer (organisation ) sponsoring your trip and your personal information.

Your H-1B visa process for registration is now complete.

What Are the New Regulations for H-1B Visa Electronic Registration?

From 2020 onwards, the US administration has launched new electronic registration norms in line with its current H-1B cap. As per the new regulations, an H-1B petition will now be deemed legitimately filed only if it is filed through the valid registration process, i.e., through the USCIS portal.

For further details about the H-1 B visa process, refer to the H-1B Electronic Registration Procedure webpage on the USCIS portal.

How to Check H-1B Visa Status?

You can quickly check your H-1B visa status once registered on the USCIS portal by following these steps:

• Visit the USCIS portal and select the ‘Tools’ tab from various sections given at the top.
• In the next window, you will see various tools as widgets on the webpage. Select the ‘Case Status Online’ tool.
• Enter your 13-digit receipt number in the next window and press the “Check Status” button. You will be directed to the next window, where you can see your H-1B visa application status.

The account will show your status as one of the following:

Submitted: You have submitted your valid registration.

Selected: You can apply for an H-1B visa.

Not Selected: You were not selected to apply for an H-1B visa this time.

Invalidated: If you have completed the registration process but have not completed your payment process, your status will be “invalidated.”

Denied: If you have accidentally undergone repeated registration for an H-1B visa with a single employer, the USCIS portal will automatically consider your registrations as ‘invalid’.

Bottomline

H-1B is vital for bringing global talent to the USA, especially in technology and engineering. It offers foreign workers valuable international opportunities while balancing American employers' requirements. You can get US citizenship with an H-1B visa, so there are a plethora of opportunities as the world is becoming increasingly interconnected. Several other types of visas, such as global health and travel insurance policies, offer the insured a wide range of benefits. They act as a bridge between the global collaboration between talent and countries.

The visas are bridging borders and building futures.

Disclaimer: Plan features, benefits, coverage, and claims underwriting are subject to policy terms and conditions. Kindly refer to the brochure, sales prospectus, and policy documents carefully.