Top paid, most skilled workers on the radar of new US H1-B rules

Some proposed changes to the H1-B application process was made by the administration headed by Donald Trump with the motive of giving away visas to foreign workers who are highly paid.

A notice was issued yesterday  under this new rule which was merit-based under which companies who are employing foreign workers on the H-1B visa-under annual caps mandated by the Congress would have to register themselves electronically with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a certain time period.

An annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 visas is what the H1-B visa would have as is mandated by the US Congress. There is an exemption for the first 20,000 petitions which are filed on behalf of the beneficiaries with a US master’s degree or higher.

The order would also be reversed by the USCIS which would allow it to select H-1B petitions under the H-1B cap.

This would most likely increase the number of foreign workers who have a master’s degree or more from an institution in the US.

The Department of Homeland security (DHS) said in a statement that the proposed time will invite a meritorious selection of beneficiaries.

“Currently, in years when the H-1B cap and the advanced degree exemption are both reached within the first five days that H-1B cap petitions may be filed, the advanced degree exemption is selected prior to the H-1B cap.

“The proposed rule would reverse the selection order and count all registrations or petitions towards the number projected as needed to reach the H-1B cap first,” it said.