H-1B season is officially upon us.
H-1Bs are the nonimmigrant work authorization for persons in specialty occupations. Specialty occupations are meant to be professional positions, but in the past year U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services has gone to great lengths to narrow the class of professionals eligible for H-1Bs. In particular, the agency has made obtaining an H-1B much more challenging for information technology professionals.
The H-1B category requires that the employer pay the greater of the prevailing or actual wage for the position. Prevailing and actual wage calculations can sometimes be complicated matters, depending on the position. Employers are required to obtain a certified labor condition application from the Department of Labor prior to filing. This process can take a few weeks in some cases, if the employer is not already registered to file.
On April 1st, the annual cap will be open, and for five days employers will submit applications. We have every reason to expect that the agency will receive more than the maximum number of applications under the H-1B quotas. In total, there are about nearly 85,000 spots. In recent years, the agency has received more than 200,000 applications.
H-1Bs are often used as a bridge status for employers who have initially hired foreign students to work for them based on pre-approved optional practical training.
Filing fees vary depending on the employer, but there is a $460 I-129 form fee, a $500 fraud fee, and a $750 or $1500 training fee.
In light of the recent challenges employers have faced with this category, careful evaluation and planning is best. Job descriptions with particularized duties need to be provided, in order to withstand up to agency scrutiny, This can be challenging for some employers, where they know they have a professional position, but have never had to precisely articulate professional duties.
We can help.