Created under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the H1b is a visa for non-immigrants in the USA. The H1b visa can allow employers in the country to temporarily employ workers from other countries for speciality occupations. For foreign workers who want to apply for a speciality job, there are several steps to acquiring the visa.
The first thing to do is to find a reliable company who will serve as sponsor for your H1b. You can find companies online using the Web search engines, but make sure that the company you choose is not on the blacklist of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. For information about the laws in filing an H1b visa, you can register at www.USCIS.gov and have daily updates. You can also register on several immigration bulletins for more information about the H1b visa.
A schedule for your application can be set to complete all necessary requirements in time. First on the schedule is that you must have a sponsor with whom you will file your H1b visa request by January 15. You must get the checklist for H1b visa filing and prepare your requirements. By February 15, you must submit your documents to the company to give them time to pass them on to a lawyer. Your visa application along with your documents must be ready by March 15, and your application must reach the USCIS by April 1st. If your application is selected, you employer will receive a Notice of Action with an EAC number.
The H1b visa gives foreign workers three years in the USA, and can be extended to six years. It can further be extended for another year if the application for labour certification is pending for 365 days.