Reply To: Trumps New H-1B Visa Fee Reduces Your JAPA Chances

[justseyi]

What exactly is the H-1B visa program?
Introduced in 1990, the H-1B visa program is one of a series of US immigration initiatives created during the 20th century to address specific labor shortages. Others facilitated the employment of temporary farm workers from Mexico during World War II, sheepherders mainly from Spain in the 1950s, and nurses, many of whom came from the Philippines, in the 1990s. Today, employers can apply to bring in foreigners to fill temporary agricultural jobs under the H-2A program and workers for other kinds of temporary jobs, including seasonal work, under the H-2B program.

H-1B visas are used primarily by the tech industry, whose leaders say there is a dearth of professionals with science, math, and computer skills. “Computer-related” occupations accounted for about 65% of H-1B approvals in fiscal 2023. Applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree. The visas are temporary, lasting as long as six years, but can be extended indefinitely if a company has sponsored a worker’s employment-based green card application for permanent residency in the US.