Dear friends,
As you know, the H1-b Visa (work visas for Professional Employees) [1] allows foreigners to legally work in the United States and H1-b Visa applications should be filed with the USCIS no later than April 1st , which is the first day they start being accepted every year. We do not recommend filing later than this date because the number of visas granted [2] every year is limited to 65,000 (for professionals with a bachelors’ degree) and 20,000 (for advanced degree professionals), and in the past years when the economy has been growing and unemployment going down, the visas have been exhausted on the first couple of days. (Learn more about the H1-b Visas requirements, processes and limits [1]).
Since it takes some time for both employer and employee to gather the necessary supporting documentation as well as for the lawyers to prepare the applications, it is in your best interest to speak as soon as possible with your employer to get the application process started.
In order to be eligible for an H1-b Visa, the foreigner must meet the following requirements (among others):
- The applicant must have a job offer in the U.S. with a company willing to sponsor him/her.
- The job offer must be for a professional position that requires at least a 4 year college degree.
- The company must offer the same prevailing wage and working conditions as others make in the same field and location where the foreigner will work.
- The foreigner must have a bachelor degree or the equivalent experience for that position.
In addition, since the wait time for the Employment Residency Petition [3] has been reduced in the past years, many employers are choosing to apply directly for the Legal Permanent Residency or Green Card [4] for their employees and in some instances this is a process that can be started before or at the same time as the H-1b visa application.
Our immigration lawyers at FitzGerald Law Company [5] are well experienced litigating and defending different types of cases and immigration processes. Read some case stories [6] about how we have successfully helped clients and watch our immigration informational videos [7] in our YouTube Channel.
If you think that you are eligible for an H1-b Visa [1] or your employer wants to apply for your green card through employment [3], call our office and schedule an appointment at (617) 303-2600 (ext. 0) or request an appointment with one of our experienced lawyers in Boston, MA [8]. For these employment cases, it is also recommended that you speak with your employer first and have your employer also come to your appointment or be willing to schedule a conference call appointment with one of our employment immigration lawyers. We can also help you or your family members with any legal problem in the areas of Criminal Defense [9], Personal Injury [10] or any other Immigration Process. [5]
Respectfully,
The FitzGerald Law Company Team
Successful track record serving the Massachusetts Community for over 20 years with all their legal needs in Immigration [5], Criminal [9] and Personal Injury Law [10]