The H1B Visa is a temporary work visa given to foreign workers so they can work in the United States for a specified period of time in specialty occupations. The United States Department of States defines a specialty occupation as "requiring theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge in a field of human endeavor including, but not limited to architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, biotechnology, medicine and health, education, law, accounting, business specialties, theology, and the arts, and requiring the attainment of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent as a minimum (with the exception of fashion models, who must be "of distinguished merit and ability")."
The duration of the stay allowed by the H1B Visa is three years but it can be extended to at most six years per visa. An exception to maximum length of stay can be applied in only two circumstances. Those two circumstances are a one year extension if a labor certification application has been filed and is pending for 365 days and for a three year extension if an I-140 Form has been approved. The United States Federal Government currently issues only 65,000 H1B Visas on an annual basis and no more. The government raised the number to 195,000 in fiscal year 2001, fiscal year 2002, and fiscal year 2003. H1B non-immigrant workers that work for non-profit organizations and universities are not included in the 65,000 annual visas that are approved. On a side note, visa renewals do not count towards the annual number of H1B limits applied.
The United States Senate approved changes to the number of H1B Visas that are approved each year. The new bill is immigration bill 2611.
The H1B is the most popular and most sought after work visa in the United States today even though the United States government requires every foreigner to apply for a work visa if they wish to work within the United States. The most important part of the H1B Visa is that it is a dual intent visa. This means that anyone with an H1B Visa can apply for a green card which gives people the opportunity to live in the United States under Legal Permanent Residency. For a foreign worker to obtain an H1B Visa they must first find an H1B Sponsorship Job with a United States Sponsoring Company. The Sponsoring Company is the employer. Second, the worker will need to have their employer file an H1B Visa application with the United States Immigration Bureau. An individual is not legally allowed to apply for their own H1B Visa or sponsor themselves.
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