H-1B Visa Series 1: Positive reforms to H-1B Visa expected – US to endeavour to select the very best VISA to be most skilled

Changes to the H-1B Visa program that would grant temporary occupation to foreign immigrants possessing a master’s degree in specialized fields like engineering, accounts, law, and medicine have been proposed by the US president Mr. Donald Trump, on Twitter. The proposed changes are expected to bring simplicity and certainty to the visa holder’s stay including a potential path to citizenship.

The current H-1B visa process is aligned toward employment in a specialty occupation by foreign workers through an employer. Foreign immigrants can be sponsored by their employers for a legal permanent residency which will pave way for them to obtain citizenship in the USA in the future. Are we looking at this to change or be amended?

The Tweet categorically mentioned that the US would want to encourage talented and highly skilled individuals to pursue careers in the US which would imply that a master’s degree in a specialised program from a US university becomes a critical criterion. This update is primarily to attract qualified and skilled individuals to obtain employment in the US which will also enable the foreign worker in securing citizenship. With the proposed changes the number of H-1B beneficiaries is expected to increase by 16%, or 5340 more workers, who hold “ADVANCED DEGREES FROM US UNIVERSITIES”.

A new electronic registration system would need to be built to streamline the registration process.

Could this imply that the preference would be given to a foreign worker with a master’s degree from a recognized university in the USA? Competition is getting tougher for temporary visas, which require a Bachelor’s degree.

Let’s await an update on further amendments.

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