What Is an H-1B Visa for an Employer?
Overview Employers can hire qualified foreign nationals on H-1B visas. 5ba7828b-2df2-2cc1-9ac3-ff9689035eb2400300 H-1B visas allow qualified foreign workers to work legally in the United States. They are employer-sponsored visas, but are held by individual employees. Employers themselves are not eligible for H-1B status. H-1B Eligibility Those employed in “specialty occupations” are eligible for H-1B visas, so long as they have a job offer in the United States and their employer agrees to sponsor them. Specialty occupations are generally defined as those requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher. Nationally or internationally recognized fashion models are also eligible for H-1B visas.
H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for jobs requiring specialized technical expertise. An H-1B visa is initially good for three years and can be extended for three more.JobsJobs commonly filled by H-1B visa holders include computer programmers, scientists, engineers, Defense Department researchers and architects.FilingIndividuals do not apply for H-1B visas. Employers file petitions with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on behalf of workers they want to hire and bring to the country on H-1B status.CapThe U.S. government sets a limit of 65,000 new H1-B visas every year. An additional 20,000 are available for foreigners who have received graduate degrees from U.S. universities.IssuanceH-1B visas are issued on a “first-come, first-served” basis.PenaltyEmployers can file only one H-1B petition per worker; if more than one is filed, that person is disqualified.Fun FactA special class of these visas, the H-1B3, is reserved for jobs requiring a “fashion model
