H1B visa updates: What you need to know

Picture courtesy : New Indian Express

USCIS has conducted the lottery for issuing the H1B visa, a temporary work authorization, for this year. Here is everything you need to know about the update:

1. H1B is a work authorization visa, mainly used by tech firms, to bring foreign workers temporarily to the United States.

2. India and China are the two countries from where maximum applications are received every year.

3. The registration for this year's lottery started on March 9th and ended on March 25th. USCIS conducted the lottery post that and the beneficiaries were informed.

4. A total of 85,000 H1B visas will be awarded this year, for which more than 200,000 applications were received.

5. Former President Donald Trump implemented a temporary ban on processing H1B visas, however, today President Joe Biden lifted that ban, giving a sense of relief for many tech firms.

6. There have been talks in the Biden administration to conduct a ‘wage-based' selection for this highly sought-after visa. But, there has been no update on this so far.

7. This visa is also seen as a way for temporary workers to enter the US and then apply for their green cards via the employer.