The H-1B non-immigrant visa allows foreign citizens to live in the United States for several years while they perform “special” work. An important occupation or distinguished ability or merit might qualify work as sufficiently special. Even a distinguished fashion model might qualify for temporary U.S. residency under an H-1B visa petition.
An H-1B visa allows United States residency for up to three years. That time period can be extended but generally not beyond a total of six years. One common exception to the six-year limitation is when the visa holder files a petition for permanent U.S. residency before the six-year period expires.
Perhaps the most considerable limitation upon the H-1B visa is the annual “cap.” Only 65,000 H-1B visas are issued each year. There are, however, ways of avoiding the cap. For example, the first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the cap. Additionally, H-1B workers at certain educational or research-related organizations can bypass the numerical cap.
We invite you to contact Genesis to speak with a knowledgeable immigration attorney regarding the H1-B visa and other visa opportunities. The attorneys at Genesis enjoy top-rate credentials yet charge more reasonable rates than most competitors. Free Mandarin Chinese interpretation available.