The H1-B visa is a temporary work visa (usually for 2 or 3 years with the possibility of renewal) that focuses on qualified professionals with a university degree or equivalent work experience. Every three years of experience is equivalent to one year of university study when the applicant does not have a university degree.
This visa requires a job offer from an American employer. The job offer is based on the assumption that there is no legal worker in the US available to fill the position, or that there is a shortage of skilled labor in the US for a particular job. This lack of labor in the US is proven through a process called Labor Certification (LCA), which examines the job offer in a specific market in order to certify the lack of a legal resident in that region with the required qualifications, so they confirm that no American workers will be harmed.
The H1-B visa is limited to a quota of 65,000 offers per year (cap season) with a further 20,000 offers for professionals with master’s degrees and doctorates. If the applicant has experience and a degree, the chances of obtaining the visa are even greater.
As it is a visa with a limit on the number of offers, unfortunately there are good candidates who are left out because they are not selected.
The possibility of applying for this visa only opens in April and lasts a week or less. Anyone interested in applying should have the whole process ready before then.
