H-1B visa: US reaches visa cap of 65,000 for 2023, announces Immigration department
The H-1B visa programme is the most sought-after work visa among foreign professionals, including Indians. The US' federal agency for immigration services said the county has received sufficient number of applications needed to reach the Congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa cap for the fiscal year 2023.
FollowThe US government office for immigration services announced on Tuesday that the country has received enough applications to exceed the 65,000 H1-B visa threshold set by Congress for the fiscal year 2023.
A non-immigrant visa called the H-1B permits US businesses to hire foreign nationals for specialised jobs that need for theoretical or technical competence. It is essential to the hiring of thousands of workers each year from nations like China and India by technology businesses. Among international professionals, including Indians, the H-1B visa programme is the most sought-after work visa.
The 20,000 US advanced degree exemption H-1B visas, often known as the master's cap, and the 65,000 standard H-1B visa caps imposed by Congress have both been reached, according to a statement from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
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Notifications of non-selection have been delivered to registrants' online accounts by USCIS. The status for registrations properly submitted for the FY 2023 H-1B numerical allocations, but that were not selected, will now show, "Not Selected".
The federal agency stated that it will continue to accept and handle requests that are otherwise exempt from the cap. The FY 2023 H-1B cap is not applicable to petitions submitted for current H-1B employees who have previously been counted against the cap and who still hold their cap number.
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However, USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the US, change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers, allow current H-1B workers to change employers, and allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in additional H-1B positions, it added.
(With agency inputs)
