Sophie Alcorn, lawyerauthor and founder Alcorn Immigration Law In Silicon Valley, California, he is an award-winning Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law by the State Bar Board for Legal Specialization. Sophie is passionate about transcending borders, expanding opportunities, and connecting the world through her compassionate, insightful, and expert immigration law practice. Connect with Sophie on LinkedIn And Twitter.
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Dear Sophie,
Our startup is looking to the H-1B lottery next year to fill open positions. We have three people we want to enroll in the lottery: two of whom currently work for us as overseas contractors, and one who is currently an F-1 student working for us in STEM OPT, whose work permit will expire in June. When will the H-1B Lottery registration and application fees increase? If selected in the H-1B lottery, how long does it typically take for an overseas H-1B candidate to get approved and come to the United States to live and work? Are there any changes we should consider for the upcoming H-1B lottery? Thanks!
-Optimistic for H-1Bs
Dear Hope,
I appreciate you reaching out to me with your questions – and I applaud you for your forward-thinking in nurturing international talent!
The US technology industry is facing an unprecedented talent shortage. There are 9.6 million unfilled jobs in the United States, but only 6 million people in the United States are unemployed and looking for work, according to Linda Moore, CEO of TechNet, the national bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives. We talked about this huge skills gap and the job opening crisis that the US tech sector is facing and how important immigration reform is in addressing the crisis.
“There is an urgent need for immigration of highly skilled people,” she said. “The biggest concern among employers is the ability to find the right people with the right skills. Policymakers are beginning to understand how the skills gap is affecting our economic outlook, and it will get worse. Our immigration system does not allow us to attract the talent we need. Businesses are having to To employ those people abroad. Those jobs and the tax revenues that come with hiring people and employing employees in the United States will go to other countries.
Let me dive into your questions to help you navigate H-1B Specialized Occupation Visa Application Process to Attract and Retain International Talent.
What is the latest news about the fee increase?
Filing and filing fee increases proposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this year have not yet taken effect. Public comment period Proposed rule It ended in March. It is unclear when the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will publish and implement the increased fees. Many expect that the fee increases will take effect sometime next year, making the cost of sponsoring international talent for work visas and green cards more expensive in the coming years.
Under this year’s proposed rule, H-1B filing fees would increase from $10 to $215, and H-1B petition fees would increase from $460 to $780.