Hike in H1-B visas by 20,000

[madhu]

WASHINGTON: The US Congress has passed a measure increasing skilled worker visas by 20,000 - including the H1-B visa. It was part of the $388 billion Appropriations Bill for the year 2005 that lawmakers rammed through before going home at the end of the session. The much-delayed spending bill was passed Saturday.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Saxby Chambliss (Republican from Georgia) and Representative Lamar Smith (Republican from Texas).

Chambliss is chair of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee and Smith is on the House Immigration Policy Subcommittee.

The H1-B is currently capped at 65,000 a year, down from the 195,000 it had been in its heyday (2000) before the tech bubble burst. The number was reduced in 2004.

Indians make up the highest number of H1-B visas from the number allowed.

Because employer requests for H1-B visas for 2005 fiscal were already higher than the quota, the Chambliss-Smith proposal permits an increase, but only of skilled workers that have a masters or doctoral degree from educational institutions in the US. New H1-B applicants may have to pay more for getting the visas and the US Labour Department will have the right to investigate any violations

Source: Times of India

Post edited by: madhu, at: 2004/11/22 20:12

[akpraveen]

Folks!

Read carefully between the lines. It says only those \"WHO HAVE A MASTERS OR A DOCTORAL DEGREE\". That means you should have graduated! If you don\'t graduate and simply have fulfilled the university requirements for the course, it doesn\'t mean you have your MASTERS/DOCTORAL DEGREE!

Make sure that you tell the employer who is willing to sponsor you based on this law about this rule!

What a catch-22 for the Students... Because, you have to have graduated to fall under the quota or should be graduating this december!

Good luck!

[verdict]

Ok I am still confused as to when the bill will come into effective. I mean www.murthy.com says that the bill is not yet passed, and even if it is passed it takes 3 months after Bush signs on the bill. So can any one clarify more on this issue as to whether the bill is effective and if it is then from what date.

Thanks

Post edited by: verdict, at: 2004/11/28 02:45