US H1B visa selection process now prioritises wages, skill level |
The United States on 7th January announced that it will modify the selection process for H-1B visa, giving priority to salary and skills instead of the current lottery procedures. The final rule to be published in the federal register on 8th January, is aimed at protecting the economic interests of the US workers and ensure the most highly skilled foreign workers benefiting from the temporary employment program. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, modifying the H-1B cap selection process will incentivize employers to offer higher salaries, petition for higher-skilled positions, and establish a more certain path for businesses to achieve personnel needs and remain globally competitive. The final rule will be effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. The next H-1B visa filing season is slated to start on the 1st of April. The current H-1B random selection process makes it difficult for businesses to plan their hiring fails to leverage the program to compete for the best and brightest international workforce, and has resulted in the annual influx of foreign labor placed in low-wage positions at the expense of US workers.
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