US proposes major changes in H-1B Visa: Here's how it will impact professionals, students
US immigration agencies have recently unveiled a series of proposed changes to the H-1B visa program, which could have significant implications for Indian professionals working in the US. The changes, aimed at modernizing the program and combating fraud, include amendments to the selection process, redefining eligibility criteria, and providing greater opportunities for startup founders, a TOI report by Lubna Kably stated.
At the end of fiscal year 2019, there were approximately 580,000 H-1B visa holders in the US, with a significant proportion being Indian nationals.
The proposed changes, therefore, have far-reaching consequences for American employers, current visa holders, and those aspiring to obtain this work visa.
How proposed H-1B visa changes will affect professionals:
To address concerns regarding the lottery-selection process, the proposed rules suggest that each individual beneficiary should be entered into the selection process only once, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf. Currently, individuals with multiple registrations have a higher chance of being selected in the lottery.
This change aims to curb gaming of the system, where multiple applications are filed on behalf of the same individual to increase their odds of selection, without a genuine job offer.
Greg Siskind, co-founder of Siskind Susser, highlighted the widespread abuse of the H-1B lottery in recent years. Unscrupulous employers, in collaboration with middlemen, have been filing multiple applications on behalf of the same individual, resulting in unfair advantages.
