Get ready! H1-B visa applications to be accepted from April 3

Los Angeles : Keeping down the concerns of the Indians planning to move America, the US government will start accepting applications for H-1B work visas for the fiscal 2018 from April 3.

The debate against H1B Visa has garnered many thoughts from both Indians and Americans triggering uncertainties surrounding the visa programme.

It is a known fact that the visa is the most sought after by Indian IT firms and professionals.

However, there is one twist as the official announcement by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) did not say till when it would continue accepting the H-1B petitions.

The applications are usually accepted for the first five business days and in the past few years, the department has received enough petitions to fill in the Congressional mandated 85,000 H-1B visas.

For those who don’t know, the Congressional mandated limit on H-1B visas include 65,000 in the general category and another 20,000 for those foreign students with masters degree from a US academic institution.

However, some people who are coming to the US on H-1B visas in certain categories for research and scientific institutions are exempted from this limit. 

But their visa processing is also handicapped this year as the premium processing has been suspended by USCIS for six months.

So far no change has been made in H-1B visas policies this year as anticipated in lieu of Trump’s government coming to power but White House says it is working on a comprehensive immigration reform.

The USCIS statement read: "All cap-subject H-1B petitions filed before April 3, for the FY 2018 cap will be rejected," it said.

Fiscal year 2018 begins on October 1, 2017.