The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is to alter the H1B foreign workers programme. This is good news for US work visa applicants and is expected to draw global talent, decrease the burden on employers and also check the misuse of the immigration system.
The rule change will not affect the yearly limit of H1B visas, which will remain 60,000.
The revised rules will help streamline the immigration system and make it more accessible for skilled professionals and students from across the globe.
The existing system increases the likelihood of selection of an individual via lottery if there are more registrations submitted in his or her name. Now, with the changes in the rules suggested by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), one individual’s registration will be considered in the selection process only once no matter how many registrations they submit. This will eliminate the chances of any fraud.
This rule will ensure that legitimate registrations have more chances of being selected. Also, beneficiaries will be able to choose between legitimate job offers because each registrant who submits a registration for a selected beneficiary will be able to apply for an H-1B on behalf of the beneficiary. The new rule will prevent the submission of more than one registration for the same beneficiary.
The rule will also codify the authority of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to make site visits. Refusal to comply with site visits may lead to denial of visa petition or revocation of the same.
