The April 1, 2015, deadline for H-1B visa petitions is quickly approaching! Have you started the process? Have you requested your Prevailing Wage Determination? Do you have your documents in order? Do you know the fees?
The H-1B Non-Immigrant Visa allows U.S. companies to employ a foreign national for up to six (6) years in a “specialty occupation,” which includes jobs in the fields of architecture, engineering, mathematics, science, medicine, and law. The H-1B application process is complex and involves several components and submissions to different governmental agencies before a final application is ready to be filed on April 1, 2015. Currently, immigration law only allows for a total of 85,000 new H-1B visas to be issued each fiscal year (20,000 of those dedicated specifically to beneficiaries with at least a Master’s degree), and the 2015 H-1B Visa Cap is currently predicted to fill by the second week in April.
The H-1B visa is a valuable tool for employers seeking to hire foreign workers. However, the tight limit on the number of available H-1B visas per year requires that the petition be completed on time and accurately. Just one error can result in the petition being returned. If this happens, by the time you refile the available visas will have been issued, resulting in no available H-1B visa for your foreign worker for at least one more year.
To help you prepare for the April 1, 2015, deadline, Carr Maloney, P.C. is pleased to announce that it will be offering its first FREE H-1B Petition webinar this February 25, 2015, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST. The webinar will be led by Tina Maiolo, Esq., an experienced business immigration attorney and designated referral counsel to the Embassy of Italy in the United States.
The H-1B Petition webinar series will cover topics including: H-1B Visa eligibility and academic qualifications; labor certification; prevailing wage determination; the H-1B Visa Cap; fees and benefits for derivative family members and dual intent.
The H-1B Petition webinar will also offer general insider tips and guidance to petitioning U.S. employers to drastically improve the odds in having their H-1B petitions selected and approved by USCIS. A petitioning U.S. employer will likely not get a second chance to file a H-1B petition for the upcoming 2015 fiscal year; therefore, it is vital that an employer seek legal counsel to avoid careless filing errors and to strategically maneuver the pitfalls of the H-1B Visa Cap. We hope that you are able to join us for our discussion of the 2015 H-1B petition process!
To register for the webinar, please click here.