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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Andres Pico, a software engineer from Ecuador, navigated the US education system to land a job at Microsoft.</li><li>Pico faced challenges adapting to US standardized tests and sought scholarships to fund his education.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andres Pico, a 29-year-old software engineer in Seattle. The following has been edited for length and clarity.I grew up in a small beach town called Manta in Ecuador with my dad, mom, and two sisters. My dad always taught me that there was nothing I couldn't do.I became interested in computers and technology because of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/playstation-plus">PlayStation</a>. Sometimes, I couldn't finish a game because the dialogue and options were in English, so I became very motivated to learn computers and English.<h2 id="aea16f41-f4aa-4e6e-926f-62684543751d">After graduating from high school, I decided I wanted to pursue my education in the US</h2>To apply to a university in the US, you must pass either the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/do-colleges-require-standardized-testing-sat-admissions-what-it-means-2024-3">SAT or ACT</a>. I bought an ACT book and prepared for many months to ensure I could get a good score.I knew I couldn't attend college in the US without a scholarship, so I began investigating scholarships and programs. I found the University of South Florida in Tampa offered a scholarship for students from Latin American countries that would get me a student visa.I was awarded the scholarship, which allowed me to receive a stipend of $1,000 a year to cover textbooks and resident status for tuition purposes.<h2 id="1ea4606f-8ed1-484d-bf1a-b39e05b12a66">I began a bachelor's degree in computer engineering in 2012</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-and-uk-life-biggest-differences-after-moving-home-space-2024-7">Coming to the US</a> at 17 was very challenging. It was my first time leaving home, and there was a lot I didn't understand about the US. I had no close friends or family here for support or guidance.It was also very exciting, as it was an opportunity to push myself. It took some time to get used to classes in English. I studied hard from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.<h2 id="d640f046-61e6-4e77-9c39-669f1b3f751d">In my second semester, I found the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers</h2>The SHPE is a national organization that empowers Hispanics and offers mentorship programs in STEM. Classmates told me they offered free pizza. I'm really glad I was feeling hungry that day.They were welcoming and taught me the basics of the school system, how to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-this-is-an-excellent-resume-2013-11">create a résumé</a>, conduct interviews, and apply to grad school. It was a blessing to find them — suddenly, I had a community of people who wanted to help me succeed.<h2 id="e2632ea8-177e-49a0-b62a-e961cc3cb10a">A fellow student advised me to get as many internships as possible</h2>That was the best advice I received for navigating the US system. If I had just focused on the school material and not gained practical experience, I'm not sure I would've been able to find a job after graduating.I had multiple internships as a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recruiter-how-filter-applications-software-engineering-job-post-atl-interview-2024-5">software engineer</a> with local companies in data centers and startups via student work permits. These internships allowed me to gain experience and earn some money.I was extremely fortunate to count on my dad's support to cover any difference between my earnings and expenses.<h2 id="f9d3935c-b09d-48b2-9bb8-dfcaa291a51f">I went on to pursue a master's degree in computer science at Virginia Tech</h2>I sought universities with good computer science programs and scholarships or assistantships. Virginia Tech had an amazing program and great tenured professors, and it offered me an opportunity as a TA, so the decision was obvious.My teaching assistantship paid for all my tuition and also paid me around $20,000 each semester.<h2 id="c9fdec8c-c770-4f06-a7af-8a6bb5f26c51">I started applying for jobs in 2017</h2>I must've applied for over 100 of them. When you apply, employers ask you if they'll need to sponsor you at some point in the future, as not every employer can cover the financial costs associated with the process when the time comes.I received four offers from Microsoft, Verizon, Deutsche Bank, and Disney. Microsoft had the best offer and was willing to sponsor my visa.<h2 id="a93721cf-c9e0-46f2-bd96-3071c98b4800">I started as a software engineer with Microsoft in 2018</h2>When I started my job at Microsoft in Seattle, I could work thanks to a student work permit that lasts one year after graduation and is granted to all F-1 visa students. While working on the student permit, your employer helps you apply for an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/h1b-visa-lottery-changes-benefit-startups-hiring-immigrants-2024-2">H-1B</a> visa.I applied for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-tech-green-card-applications-pause-2024-5">green card</a> after working on my H-1B visa for a year. By this point, I had lived in the US for about six years and created a whole life here, but the green card process was very painful.<h2 id="a2b4001a-c572-41e4-89cb-053b4e3c883a">The process makes life pretty horrible</h2>Having a work visa and going through the green card process are privileges, but it is very hard to separate the emotional component.There's no guarantee that you'll get to stay. If something goes wrong at any given time, you have to be ready to pack your bags and leave everything behind. I know some people who tried to get it three times and ran out of chances and had to return home.The first few years working were also difficult because I wasn't around anyone who looked like me. I wanted to grow and challenge myself, but at the same time, it made me wonder if I belonged, and doubt and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/managing-imposter-syndrome-when-you-are-the-boss-2021-10">imposter syndrome</a> crept in.Luckily, Microsoft paid for the attorneys in the green card process, and no cost came out of my pocket.<h2 id="1eb526a5-91be-4063-bec1-58a529e97297">I had to constantly review what they were putting on the application forms</h2>My key takeaway is that, even if you're working with lawyers, you still have to assume complete ownership of the application process and remember the lawyers supporting you, being human, can make mistakes.I was audited because some of the information that had been submitted was incorrect. It took me six to eight months to provide supplemental information and pass the audit.In 2022, I finally received my green card after three years.<h2 id="bd375841-9305-458d-bfb3-92ac255d1675">Last year, I decided to move into product management and took a new job at Starbucks</h2>In software engineering, you work on problems created by engineers for engineers. I wanted to learn how to build products that our customers actually love, so I ended up becoming a technical product manager.I love the US, I love the city I live in, and I love its people. I try to make it a better place by providing value through my career and volunteering in my local community.I even recently <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-couple-left-nyc-bought-vermont-house-slow-life-2024-9">bought a house</a> here — I don't have plans to move anywhere else.Want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com.

I got my green card after working at Microsoft on an H-1B visa. The process was very painful, but I love the US and don't plan to leave.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The H-1B visa program is undergoing changes.</li><li>Under the new process, all individuals have the same chance of being selected in the lottery.</li></ul>A new reform to the US H-1B visa program aims to ring out some of the uncertainty for migrant workers and employers.The US Citizenship and Immigration Services recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-announces-strengthened-integrity-measures-for-h-1b-program">said</a> it finalized measures to make sure each applicant has the same chance of being selected for the H1-B visa program, the nation's largest temporary work visa program with over 600,000 workers across 50,000 employers.Each year, tens of thousands of foreign nationals wind up at venture-backed companies through the employment-based visa program. Tech companies like Stripe, Plaid, and X, formerly known as Twitter,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-startups-sponsor-h1b-work-visas-2024-1"> use the H-1B visa to fill labor shortages</a> for jobs that require a college degree, by providing work authorization for migrant workers in fields like engineering, business admin, and mathematics.However, obtaining an H-1B visa remains challenging due to high demand. The program gets more interest than it can meet — with the number of yearly visas <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/us-reaches-h-1b-cap-for-fiscal-year-2024/articleshow/106011187.cms">capped at 85,000</a> — so the government uses a lottery process to decide who comes in.The lottery has had a loophole that some have abused in past years to try to game the system. Nothing in the law had prohibited an individual from having multiple entries in the lottery if they can secure multiple job offers, said Jason Finkelman, an Austin<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-attorneys-lawyers-helping-startups-founders-entrepreneurs-secure-work-visas-2021-8"> immigration lawyer</a> who specializes in work visas. In theory, having more registrations in the lottery gave migrant workers more chances to win a coveted visa.Last year, the number of registrations filed on behalf of foreign nationals jumped to 780,000, a 61% increase over the previous year.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-and-fashion-models/h-1b-electronic-registration-process"> Data shows</a> much of the increase was due to a record-breaking number of employers submitting multiple H-1B registrations for the same person. They might have set up unique corporate structures or banded with other companies to try and get around the rules."This led to many individuals being entered into the lottery multiple times, through different companies, and ultimately decreasing the odds of being selected in the lottery," Finkelman said.The new regulations aim to curtail this sort of behavior. Registrations will now be selected from a pool of unique individuals rather than the total number of entries. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hardest-software-engineering-interviews-ranked-2023-12">software engineer</a> in Hyderabad with one job offer has the same odds of being selected as the researcher in Beijing with a binder full of offers. USCIS said the new process takes effect in the lottery in April.These changes are good news for startups and small businesses, says <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/h1b-visa-lottery-system-alternative-options-sponsorship-2021-2">Sophie Alcorn, an immigration lawyer based in Silicon Valley</a>. The reform makes it less attractive for applicants to secure multiple job offers, which should drive down the overall number of registrations. This improves the odds for startups that their applicant gets selected in the lottery."For a startup that's willing to sponsor, there's a higher likelihood that [an applicant] will go to work for that company that's willing to sponsor them," Alcorn said. "There's more predictability."Even before the reform, Finkelman said he saw inquiries from startups tick up because of the proposed changes."We're seeing increased interest from startups, which are in desperate need of top talent and which oftentimes require visa sponsorship [to fill roles], to enter candidates into the lottery," Finkelman said. "They see the playing field will be evened out."

Uncle Sam just overhauled the H-1B visa lottery, and that's good news for startups

The US State Department has quietly implemented recommendations of a presidential commission which has suggested steps like opening up American diplomatic missions outside India for visa appointments to reduce the visa backlog in the country. India was one of the very few countries where applications for US visas saw a major upswing after coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted. Moved by a commission member, Ajay Jain Bhutoria from Silicon Valley, the presidential commission observed that inordinate visa appointment delays were causing huge problems for the students and visitors who have plans to come to study in the US and visit the country. The State Department should allow virtual interviews where applicable and allow staff from embassies around the world and the US consular staff to help conduct the virtual interviews at embassies with high backlogs and help clear them, the commission recommended. The recommendations included opening up American diplomatic missions outside India for visa appointments, having more counters and deploying additional resources to process visa applications. The <keyword id="50596" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-embassy" source="Orion">US Embassy</keyword> in India processed over 1 lakh applications just in January 2023, their highest total in a single month and the highest in any month since July 2019. In its December meeting, the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders recommended several steps to reduce the growing delay in visa appointment times in India and other countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. It recommended the State Department hire new Full-Time officers/consular or Temporary Staff or contractors or bring back retired consular officers to clear the backlog at Embassies in Asia which have wait times of 400 or more days and shrink the wait time to 2-4 weeks be clearing the visa application backlog. The State Department could also use staff from other embassies around the world to help clear the backlog in countries in Asia which have huge backlogs and delays in visa appointments, it had recommended. The advisory committee noted that in 2012 President Barack Obama issued a memo to reduce the wait time from several months to a few days and this memo streamlined the visa process. The Trump administration had rescinded the President Obama memo, and this is also contributing as one of the factors in causing delays for Visa appointments, it said. As such, it recommended that President Joe Biden should consider issuing a memo to the State Department to shrink the visa appointment wait times to 2-4 weeks maximum for countries with significant backlogs including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries in a similar situation. There have been growing concerns in India over the long waiting period for first-time visa applicants, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories. The waiting period for first-time B1/B2 visa applicants in India was close to three years in October last year. In January, the State Department not only implemented remote processing of interview waiver cases for applicants with previous US visas but also launched several initiatives, including scheduling special interviews for first-time applicants and increasing the strength of consular staff. It also conducted "special Saturday interview days" on January 21. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-unleashes-ai-powered-updates-to-revamp-user-experience-on-maps-search-and-translate/articleshow/97761551.cms">Google unleashes AI-powered updates to revamp user experience on Maps, Search and Translate</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/now-find-ev-charging-stations-in-google-maps-near-you/articleshow/97759525.cms">Now find EV charging stations in Google Maps near you</a>

US State Department implements several recommendations of presidential commission to reduce visa backlog in India

The <keyword id="6354458" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="us" source="Orion">US</keyword> risks losing talented foreigners, particularly those married to other skilled professionals, to <keyword id="6356687" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="canada" source="Orion">Canada</keyword>, which grants work authorisation to spouses of all skilled foreign workers, says a new study. But granting employment authorisation to all spouses of <keyword id="6358066" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="H-1B-visa" source="Orion">H-1B visa</keyword> holders would encourage more skilled migrants, including Indians, to choose the US over Canada, the study by National Foundation for American Policy revealed. "The US can reap significant economic benefits, ease labour shortages, and attract more workers in the global competition for talent if it expanded current rules on work eligibility for the spouses of H-1B visa holders," the study, authored by Madeline Zavodny, said. The number of Indians who became permanent residents in Canada increased by over 115 per cent between 2016 and 2020 and 2021. In 2015, then President <keyword id="15962" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="barack-obama" source="Orion">Barack Obama</keyword> allowed the spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the US via the H4 (dependent) visa. H4 visas are issued to dependent spouses and children who accompany H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, and H-3 visa holders to the US. The spouses of H-1B visa holders tend to be highly educated, many of them in STEM fields, and previously had careers of their own or worked to support their families. "Allowing the spouses of H-1B visa holders to work upon arrival would help recruit and retain skilled workers and increase the already-considerable economic benefits of the H-1B visa category," Zavodny said. She estimates that almost 90 per cent of the spouses of H-1B visa holders have at least a bachelor's degree, and over half have a graduate degree, based on American Community Survey data (2017-2019). Out of these 90 per cent of spouses, two-thirds are from India and 6 per cent are from China. "Almost half of spouses of likely H-1B visa holders who have a bachelor's degree had a STEM-related major. Among spouses of likely H-1B visa holders who are employed, 42 per cent are working in a STEM field," she noted. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation published in 2015 allows spouses who hold an H4 visa to apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Currently, H4 spouses can only apply for an EAD after their H-1B spouse is in the queue for a permanent visa. That typically does not occur until the H-1B has worked in the US for several years; indeed, some spouses may apply only after their H-1B spouse has worked in the US for at least six years. The H4 visa holder must be selected in the H-1B lottery, which only occurs once a year and has low odds of success. Long delays in processing H4 EADs have plagued the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the spouses who need the approval to work. Spouses of workers who hold an L-1 intracompany transferee visa, an E-1 treaty trader, an E-2 treaty investor, or E-3 specialty occupation worker from Australia visa are allowed to work. Spouses of these visa holders are "considered employment authorised incident to status", that is, their visa allows them to work and they do not need to apply separately for an EAD. Since mid-2015, some 171,000 H-4 visa holders have been approved for employment authorisation, a significant portion of whom are from India. In fiscal 2021, Indians bagged the highest number of H1B visas i.e., over 74 per cent of the allotments. Out of 4.07 lakh H1-B visas approved by the USCIS, 3.01 lakh were allotted to Indians whereas, 50,000 Chinese received the visas. Research shows that the H-1B visa category bumps up economic growth, creates jobs for American workers, and slows offshoring of high-paid jobs. "If allowed to work, these spouses would make considerable contributions to the US labour market as most of them would enter occupations with very low unemployment rates and high job vacancy rates," says Zavodny. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/september-earnings-on-track-but-its-time-to-tone-down-optimism-says-kotak-institutional-equities/articleshow/95272073.cms">September earnings on track, but it’s time to tone down optimism says Kotak Institutional Equities</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-ideas-q2-loss-widens-to-7596-crore/articleshow/95282354.cms">Vodafone Idea’s Q2 loss widens to ₹7,596 crore</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/hdfc-reports-18-year-on-year-rise-in-q2-net-profit-to-4454-crore/articleshow/95279744.cms">HDFC reports 18% year-on-year rise in Q2 net profit to ₹4,454 crore</a>

US risks losing skilled professional H-1B visa holders to Canada

The US has received sufficient number of applications needed to reach the <keyword id="10784391" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="congressionally" source="Orion">Congressionally</keyword> mandated 65,000 H1-B <keyword id="6359421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="visa" source="Orion">visa</keyword> cap for the fiscal year 2023, the country's federal agency for immigration services said on Tuesday. The <keyword id="6358066" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="h-1b-visa" source="Orion">H-1B visa</keyword> is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire thousands of employees each year from countries like <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> and China. The H-1B visa programme is the most sought-after work visa among foreign professionals, including Indians. We have received a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the Congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa US advanced degree exemption, known as the master's cap, for fiscal year 2023, the <keyword id="368921" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="us-citizenship-and-immigration-services" source="Orion">US Citizenship and Immigration Services</keyword> (<keyword id="137642" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="uscis" source="Orion">USCIS</keyword>) said in a statement. USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants' online accounts. The status for registrations properly submitted for the FY 2023 H-1B numerical allocations, but that were not selected, will now show, Not Selected: Not selected not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration, it said. Meanwhile, the federal agency will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap, it said. Petitions filed for current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap, and who still retain their cap number, are exempt from the FY 2023 H-1B cap, it said. However, USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the US, change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers, allow current H-1B workers to change employers, and allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in additional H-1B positions, it added. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/10000-investment-in-gensol-engineering-ev-stock-gave-2-77-lakh-return-in-a-year/articleshow/93740070.cms">This EV firm rose 2600% in a year: ₹10,000 invested in this stock a year ago is worth ₹2.77 lakh</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/dreamfolks-services-ipo-opens-today-check-out-important-details-related-to-the-ipo/articleshow/93740178.cms">DreamFolks Services IPO opens today — Check out important details related to the IPO</a>

US has reached the H-1B visa limit for the financial year of 2023

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Australia plans to cut new international student enrollment by a third next year.</li><li>The cap follows a surge in international students post-pandemic, straining the rental market.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/australia-law-right-to-disconnect-ignore-calls-after-hours-work-2024-8">Australia</a> is capping new international students next year, in an effort to curb record migration.The country plans to limit <a target="_blank" class="" href=" https://www.businessinsider.com/how-employers-can-support-international-students-job-seekers-2022-3">international student</a> enrollments to 270,000 in 2025, Australian education minister announced on Tuesday. In 2023, there were just over 400,000 new international students."There's about 10% more <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/studying-abroad-in-north-korea-isolating-surreal-friendships-made-2024-7">international students</a> in our universities today than before the pandemic, and about 50% more in our private vocational and training providers," education minister Jason Clare said in a press briefing on Tuesday. "These reforms are designed to make it better and fairer, and set it up on a more sustainable footing going forward."The government will assign each university or vocational institute an individual limit.Australia has about 718,000 total <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-visa-moved-usa-canada-immigrants-2024-7">international students</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-diplomat-chinese-students-should-not-access-sensitive-tech-2024-6">primarily from China</a>, India, and Nepal, according to 2024 education department <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.education.gov.au/international-education-data-and-research/international-student-numbers-country-state-and-territory">figures</a>.Curbs on migration were first announced in December, when Australia said it would tighten visa scrutiny for graduates and require students to secure higher scores on their English proficiency tests.The restrictions come after a period of concessions to encourage foreign workers and students who left during the pandemic to return to Australia. That created an influx of foreigners, which worsened the pressure on the country's tight rental market.Clare added that the restrictions will also limit the amount of "shonks" — people and businesses exploiting the demand for international education in Australia. Authorities have previously said that some providers participate in unethical practices or scams, such as recruiting students who are not proficient enough in English to do well, luring students with the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/26/fraudulent-course-providers-face-closure-in-labors-international-education-crackdown">promises of jobs</a>, or promising tuition fee discounts to those who recruit other students.Canada announced similar limitations earlier this year, in an effort to bring down the costs of buying and renting homes.Canada's immigration agency said in January that it will cap the number of acceptances for international study permits. The move is expected to cut the number of students by 35% compared to last year and reduce the number of "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10241346/international-student-visas-canada/">puppy mills</a>" that provide poor-quality education.According to a study by education consultant IDP, the US, Australia, the UK, and Canada are hotspots for those seeking international education, with countries like Germany, New Zealand, and Ireland gaining interest in recent years.Since May 2023, the UK has clamped down on international students bringing their families on all student visas, except postgraduate research and those with government scholarships. The changes have also reduced the number of people using student passes as a loophole to work. The government <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tough-government-action-on-student-visas-comes-into-effect">forecast</a> that the changes would lead to 140,000 fewer people coming to the country.In the US, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/h1b-visa-lottery-changes-benefit-startups-hiring-immigrants-2024-2">dwindling chances</a> of landing a work visa after graduation because of the H-1B lottery system have made the country less attractive for some foreign students. A Trump-era executive order <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2021/08/10/biden-keeps-costly-trump-visa-policy-denying-chinese-grad-students/">denying visas to Chinese graduate students</a> also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/decline-china-international-students-economy-universities-trump-biden-immigration-covid-2022-8">slashed the number of enrollments.</a>

It's a terrible time to be an international student. Australia is the latest country to limit visas.

A federal judge has granted class certification in a lawsuit challenging the alleged pattern and practice of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services arbitrarily denying H-1B non-immigrant employment-based petitions for market research analyst positions filed by businesses in this country. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. The lawsuit - filed in federal court in the Northern District of California by the American Immigration Council, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, along with law firms Van Der Hout LLP, Joseph &amp; Hall PC, and Kuck Baxter Immigration LLC - seeks to rein in the unlawful adjudication practice the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses in determining whether a market research analyst job qualifies as a "specialty occupation." The lawsuit also points to the agency's misinterpretation of the Occupational Outlook Handbook-a publication of the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics that profiles hundreds of occupations in the United States' job market, according to a statement. The H-1B visa category allows employers to petition for highly educated foreign professionals to work in "specialty occupations" that require at least a bachelor's degree or the equivalent in a specific specialty. US employers seeking highly educated foreign professionals submit their petitions to USCIS, it said on Thursday. "This ruling is an important victory as we can now ask the court to take action, in a single lawsuit, that will benefit hundreds of American businesses and the market research analysts they sought to employ," said Leslie K. Dellon, staff attorney (business immigration) at the American Immigration Council. Research shows that H-1B workers complement US workers, fill employment gaps in many occupations, and expand job opportunities for all, Dellon said. "While this victory opens an opportunity for the entire class, I want to recognise and celebrate the courage of the named plaintiffs, and now class representatives, for stepping forward on behalf of those similarly aggrieved," said Jesse Bless, director of federal litigation at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "We are hoping that a new administration brings more sensible business immigration policy to USCIS adjudications," said Jeff Joseph, senior partner and director of corporate immigration and employer compliance at Joseph &amp; Hall P C. "When you have to litigate about whether only one particular degree can lead to a variety of professional specialty occupations, you know that the government is just reaching for reasons to deny cases," Joseph said. "We are delighted that the court is holding USCIS accountable in how it adjudicates these H-1B visas. Hopefully, USCIS will learn the lesson the court is teaching it here-follow your own laws and regulations," said Charles H Kuck, managing partner at Kuck Baxter Immigration LLC. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/mumbais-massive-power-cut-last-month-may-have-been-the-work-of-hackers/articleshow/79318282.cms">Mumbai’s massive power cut last month may have been the work of hackers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/vodafone-idea-shares-jump-after-selling-stake-in-indus-towers-for-3760-crore/articleshow/79316662.cms">Vodafone Idea soars nearly 5% on fund infusion from Indus Towers stake sale</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/pubg-mobile-india-was-supposed-to-launch-today/articleshow/79315462.cms">PUBG Mobile India was rumoured to launch today — but there is no official update from the company</a>

You Searched For "h1b visa lawsuit" and got 7 results

I got my green card after working at Microsoft on an H-1B visa. The process was very painful, but I love the US and don't plan to leave.

Elle Hardy

Uncle Sam just overhauled the H-1B visa lottery, and that's good news for startups

Melia Russell

US State Department implements several recommendations of presidential commission to reduce visa backlog in India

PTI

US risks losing skilled professional H-1B visa holders to Canada

IANS

US has reached the H-1B visa limit for the financial year of 2023

PTI

It's a terrible time to be an international student. Australia is the latest country to limit visas.

Shubhangi Goel

H-1B visa lawsuit against US immigration authorities now covers market research analyst positions filed by US businesses

PTI

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