According to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, approximately 31,000 H-1B visas are still available for the 2011 fiscal year. During the boom years there was always a shortage of H-1B visas and it was very difficult for companies to obtain this visa for their foreign employees.
The United States economy has still not fully recovered from the economic downturn and so demand for H-1B petitions to remain low. This provides a good opportunity for companies that have had difficulties obtaining H-1B visas in the past to obtain them now. In 2006 all available H-1B visas were snatched up in a single day.
The H-1B visa is primarily for workers with a bachelors degree or higher, along with fashion models who plan to work for a US employer in specialized, degree level work. H-1B workers may live and work in the United States for a period of up to three years and can be extended for up to six years. If an individual meet requirements for another visa category, he/she may be able to stay longer.
The normal cap on H-1B visa petitions is 65,000 per fiscal year with an additional 20,000 available per year under the H-1B Masters Degree Exemption. This allows the first 20,000 petitions for applicants with a Master’s degree or higher to be exempt from the cap.
Below is a table showing the availability of H-1B visas as of 20 August 2010:
Type of Cap Cap Limit Petitions Recieved
Normal H-1B cap 65,000 33,900
H-1B Masters Exemption 20,000 12,600
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