When a person from another country is looking to work in the U.S., what type of employment visa they might be able to pursue depends on their circumstances. For foreign nationals in high-skill professions and industries, such as the technology industry, one option that may be available is the H-1B visa. These are nonimmigrant work visas for individuals who work in specialty occupations.

There are challenges foreign workers can encounter in efforts to try to get this type of work visa. For one, there is a cap on how many H-1B visas are issued in a year. Also, various complex issues can come up in relation to the process of applying for such a visa. Additionally, a worker can sometimes run into difficulties in getting the documentation/information they need to help support their efforts to pursue an H-1B visa. Experienced immigration lawyers can provide individuals who are trying to get an H-1B visa in order to work here in California with guidance on the process of pursuing an H-1B visa and help them with responding to challenges that come up during this process.

Now, in recent times, questions have come up regarding the future of this visa program. The H-1B program has drawn a fair amount of debate and will be going under review. One thus wonders if the program will see any major changes in upcoming months.

California is among the states that might be particularly impacted by any future changes to the H-1B program. This is because, according to recent data, California sees a particularly high level of H-1B visa applications. The data put the H-1B visa application rate in California at 3,051 applications per one million residents. This is one of the highest rates in the country.

So, many employers and individuals here in California may have their eye on what the future holds for this visa program.

Source

CNBC, “Here are the US states — and the companies — that use the most H-1B visas,” Nick Wells and Mark Fahey, April 18, 2017