How does the H-1B visa program work?
The H-1B visa provides temporary, three year, permission to reside and work in the United States and is renewable for an additional three year period. There is a tight quota on the number of H-1B visas available each fiscal year. The fiscal year begins on October 1st of each year. The earliest an employer can file for an H-1B petition is six months prior to October 1st (i.e. April 1st). In practical terms, we would file for your H-1B visa six months before you can enter and work in the United States on that visa. Furthermore, because of the strict quota, almost all employers rush to file the H-1B visa petitions on April 1. As a result, the H-1B visa quota is often quickly and almost immediately exhausted in the start of April. In fact, in 2008, there were so many applicants that a lottery took place. Slightly over half of our applicants were selected and received their H-1B visa.
