Tag Archives: h1b employers

H1B Visa Lawyers & Support Sites

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One thing we would like to add to our H1B Visa News post relates to the need for legal representation and lawyers for your H1B visa process since it is a common question we get all the time. Technically US Immigration law requires your company to pay for all legal costs if they choose to use that option as well as all H1B visa application costs.

Now we know many of you choose for your own peace of mind or due to the nature of your company that you end up paying for the lawyer yourself for the process. Please note that using a lawyer does NOT guarantee or all things being equal enhance your chances of getting an H1B visa. In truth the reason why immigration lawyers are so highly regarded is because most legitimate companies who employ foreign nationals to the US, especially the top H1B employers like Microsoft, Google, etc. will always use lawyers. Because companies like these always follow the law to the letter and hire talented and highly qualified individuals to legitimate positions, they tend to have their applications approved almost always. Thus the immigration lawyers have a high success rate with H1B visa petitions.

However with individuals where the company refuses to not only pay legal costs but also often requires the applicants to directly pay or at the least reimburse the sponsor employer company partially or wholly the H1B application costs, I’ll bet their success rate is far lower given the above and that the candidates also may not be as highly credentialed and/or the employer and position to quite as specialized (and in some cases even legitimate to the H1B visa regulations).

However I would also be willing to bet in a large proportion of cases their profit margins are higher and their due diligence is not at the level say for an Immigration attorney retained by Microsoft for their foreign nationals. This is because they would be dealing directly with foreigners with less knowledge of US Immigration law or the legal process in general and often very desperate in their state of mind looking for any type of reassurance.

So in summary my caution to all of you H1B visa hopefuls this year not to be tricked or overcharged by Immigration lawyers and to talk to many people and try to get referrals from people you trust if you are engaging a lawyer. Also be fully aware of the actual official H1B visa application costs above so you know exactly what your lawyer is supposedly charging you and request itemization of your bills so you know what they are you charging you for.

Also additionally be aware of the H1B visa support sites that supposedly help you find jobs, employers, arrange US Job Interviews, help you with your US style resume, etc. Most of this information is freely available online and also on this from the links just here as well as many other official sites like Monster to help you with your resume of USCIS Government official sites for the list of past US Visa Employers.

There are also many non-profit and Immigrant support groups that you can look up that if nothing else are great sources of support and reassurance during this uncertain time. Also check out websites like foreignborn.com as well as our own visa and immigration resources section.

Good Luck,

CJ

H1B Visa Season FY2011 Tips for April 1, 2010

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H1B visa season is hotting up again and we want to try to help all those foreigners who are seeking to work in the US now after a tough H1B Visa season FY2010 in 2009.

Already this year we have listed the most recent Top 25 Employer Sponsors of H1B visas to give you an idea of who most recently has been hiring foreign workers even during the tougher economic times of last year. Then we also covered some great H1B visa application filing FAQs as well as covered all the H1B visa petition supporting documents you need for a successful application.

There is every indication this year that things should go back more to normal due to the better economic conditions. This means that it is more likely you will need to get your H1B petition filed close to the April 1, 2010 filing date to ensure you have the best chance of being approved for a successful application.

What this means that even things like the H1B visa lottery may be reinstated this year if there is an over supply of application for the 65,000 H1B visa quota for the main group along with the additional 20,000 quota for those with US based advanced degrees (i.e. Master’s or higher).

This H1B visa lottery in past years has left many deserving foreigners and their employers with work approval so it is critical that you get your application early to avoid any random selection in the process.

Some other general tips for H1B visa season include;

  1. H1B visa Premium Filing: If you either have means to pay for premium processing or your prospective H1B visa employer sponsor on your behalf can on your behalf, then certainly do. This is where the USCIS guarantees a response of approval, denial or need for more information within 15 days of filing (otherwise they refund the money). This costs $1,000 and while it doesn’t directly mean your chances are better it does give your employer/attorney direct access to the USCIS assessing case officer. (you can’t do this on your own behalf). This of course tends to help the whole application process being approved and being done quickly
  2. Understand Specialty Occupation & Wage Requirements: Due to the tougher economic conditions there is definitely more of a focus from the USCIS and US Department of Labor (DOL) that these are enforced. Specialty occupation in its broadest sense can mean any occupation that requires and specifies as so a Bachelors Degree minimum requirement with a few exceptions. However it is important that role as defined in the your H1B application to the USCIS and prior ETA-9035(e) filing with the US Department of Labor to receive your LCA is as specialized as possible. The more generic your title and job duties, the greater the risk of denial either at these points or even when applying for your H1B visa at your US Consulate or Embassy Interview
  3. Beware of H1B visa Fraud: In years gone by many individuals and employers were more easily able to get away with either borderline following the rule H1B visa petitions or more fraudlent H1B visa applications. They were borderline and/or fraudulent in the areas of who was actually employing the foreigner, where their job sites would be, who was paying them, whether they were really employees or contract workers paid by the job, whether they were benched (meaning not working or being paid waiting for their employer to send them to a new role), etc. Currently there are more regular H1B visa site audits, additional scrutiny of applications at all levels from the DOL to USCIS and the US Consulates and more alarmingly recently H1B visa deportations of approved H1B workers.
  4. US Immigration & Employment Trends: Ensure that you are fully versed in the best locations and industry sectors to look for work in the US. We documents these immigration and employment trends recently and you will see that areas like Texas and Florida and then industry sectors like Health, Education, Green Energy and Internet are among the best places to search for jobs.
  5. US Job Applications: Understand the best places to look for work in the US, how to create a US style resume, issues and extension benefits if transferring from the F1 visa OPT program and finally great US job interview techniques

Good luck in this H1B visa season to all foreigners and we look forward hearing your stories and experiences as the season unfolds.

CJ