With the holiday season in full swing, we want to offer our readers an uplifting post for Christmas. Even though there is a great deal of trepidation about the future of the H1B visa program under the new Trump administration, you never know what gifts might be offered to hopeful foreign workers and US companies willing to sponsor their H1B visa petitions.
So, in the spirit of optimism and good wishes, here is our H1B visa Christmas wish list…feel free to add your own wishes in the comment section.
An H1B Visa Christmas
No one gets everything that they want for Christmas (or in life for that matter) but here are the top items on our list. Even one or two would make us happy:
- The annual lottery and quota for H1B visas is eliminated or increased significantly, and instead, the ‘specialty occupation’ qualifications and salary levels are raised to allow market forces to control the number of visas awarded each year.
- A new law is passed forcing outsourcing firms to verify that they are paying their ‘consultants’ the entire wage promised each month, and any benching practices are met with large fines and penalties. This allows foreign workers in the IT industry particularly, to avoid the stress of being in the US with insufficient income and no way to file a complaint.
- US-based companies with a track record of directly hiring skilled foreign workers at wages equal to US candidates, are given a fast track or streamlined petition approval process, and/or priority in the annual lottery. This would reward companies making direct hires, who also may be willing to help the worker toward green card status.
- The Trump administration begins to dialogue with US businesses that truly rely on H1B visa workers due to their educational and skills background, and this leads to more compromises in program reform to support those business realities.
- The USCIS budget is increased to ensure that there are no delays in H1B visa petition approval, and there is consistent training that eliminates ‘discretionary’ denials or information requests that are unnecessary.
And on a lighter note…
- Ivana Trump admits to earning money as a model in the US prior to her H1B visa start date, and formally asks her husband for a presidential pardon.
- The ‘black box’ of the annual lottery system is revealed, and no one is surprised to learn that it is not really random, but simply done alphabetically based on the worker’s first name. This explains why so many visas are awarded to Indians, since there are over 700 first names in India that start with the letters “Aa”.
- H1B.io is named “H1B Visa Blog of the Year” for its relentless service to foreign workers seeking real information on the visa process, finding sponsors and high paying positions. (ah well, it is Christmas… we can dream cant we?)
Thank you to all of our readers and subscribers for allowing us to help you achieve your dreams of working in the US in your chosen profession. We wish all of you a Happy Holiday, no matter where you live and tradition that you follow.
Please contact us if you need assistance at any time. The 2017 H1B visa lottery will be here before we know it, so let us help you find a sponsor and position that fits your unique skills and experience.
- December 22nd, 2016
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