USCIS announces the registration for the H-1B Work Visa

52 minutes ago
4 min read

If you are a professional and are looking for an opportunity to work legally in the United States, we have very important news. The Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS, for its acronym in English) has announced the opening of the registration period to process the H-1B work visa.

This visa is a highly sought-after document that allows people from other countries to be legally employed in the U.S. In this article, we will explain to you in a simple way what the dates to register are, how much it costs, and what the new rules imposed by the government are.

Important Dates

The process to request this visa is not open all year. There is a very short time to be able to register:

Registration start: March 4.
Registration close: March 19.
Results: The people who are chosen (selected) will receive a notice by email before the month of April begins.

To be able to participate, the company that is going to give you the job (called "petitioner") must create an account on the official USCIS website and register you (the "beneficiary") electronically.

New government costs and rules

Applying for the visa has a cost and, additionally, the Donald Trump administration has announced new rules for fiscal year 2027.

The Costs of the Process

Registration fee: Registering a worker in this process costs $125 dollars.
¡Attention to the new fee! Due to a new government rule, if the company is selected to give them the visa, it is possible that the company (the petitioner) may have to pay an additional fee of $100,000 dollars before being able to submit the final H-1B papers.

New Selection Rules

The government updated the system to decide who wins these visas. Now, priority will be given (put first in line) to foreign workers who are more skilled and to those who are offered a higher salary. The government says it does this to protect the wages and opportunities of American workers.

¿Who can apply for the H-1B Work Visa?

This visa is not for just any type of job. It is reserved for people who do "specialized jobs".

According to the law, a specialized job is one that demands having a lot of technical knowledge and requires, at a minimum, having a university degree (bachelor's) or its equivalent.

Some of the professionals who can apply are:

Engineers and Architects.
Mathematicians and Scientists.
Doctors and healthcare workers.
Teachers and Professors (Education).
Accountants and business specialists.
Lawyers.
Artists and Theologians.

¿How long does the H-1B Visa last?

If your visa is approved, you can stay to work in the United States for 3 years. If your employer needs you for more time, that permit can be extended for another 3 years. The total maximum time you can be on this visa is 6 years.

¿How many Visas are available? (The annual limit)

Many people want this visa, but the government has a limit on how many it can issue each year:

General limit: 65,000 visas for professional workers.
Extra limit for master's degrees: There are 20,000 additional visas exclusively for people who graduated with a master's degree or higher from a United States university.

Exceptions to the limit: If you are going to work for a university, for a non-profit organization linked to education, or for a government research center, there is no numerical limit! Your application can be processed without competing for the 65,000 spots.

SOURCE: LA NACION

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. ¿Can I register myself for the H-1B visa?

No. The registration must be done by the U.S. company or the employer that is offering you the job (the petitioner).

2. ¿What happens if I register after March 19?

USCIS will not accept applications after that date. The registration period is strict and closes on March 19.

3. ¿What does it mean that they will give priority to higher salaries?

It means that, at the time of choosing who to give the visa to, the government will prefer to approve the applications of those workers whose companies will pay them a higher salary, instead of choosing randomly.

4. ¿Do I have to pay the $100,000 dollars if I am chosen?

No, U.S. immigration and labor laws generally require that H-1B visa fees be paid by the employer (the company hiring you), not the worker. If your employer is required to pay this new fee, it is the company's responsibility to pay it.

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