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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

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Moscow says it scrambled fighter jets to intercept two US bombers approaching the Russian border.</li><li>Russia's Defense Ministry said two B-52H bombers "withdrew" as the jets approached.</li></ul>Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept two US Air Force B-52H bombers approaching its border, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://t.me/mod_russia_en/15173">Russian Ministry of Defense said in a post on Telegram</a>."Russian airspace control systems located a group aerial target over the Barents Sea waters approaching the State border of the Russian Federation," the post said.MiG-29 and MiG-31 jets were called into action to intercept the bombers and "prevent a violation of the State border."As the jets approached, the department said that the bombers "adjusted the flight course," making a "U-turn away from the State border.""The Russian aircraft returned safely to the home airfields. There was no violation of the State border," it added.It's not the first time Moscow has said it's stopped a Western aircraft from crossing the Russian border over the Barents Sea, which is off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia.In August last year, a MiG-29 fighter jet intercepted a Norwegian P-8A Poseidon aircraft as it approached the Russian border, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tass.com/defense/1660191">Russia's Defense Ministry said, per Tass news agency</a>.The Russian Defense Ministry said the plane withdrew as the Russian MiG approached.In March, a Russian MiG-31 scrambled to intercept two US B-1B strategic bombers in the same region, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tass.com/defense/1765057">Tass</a>.Once again the Ministry of Defense said the bombers pulled away.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_221598.htm">NATO has said</a> its air forces in Europe scrambled more than 300 times in 2023 to intercept Russian planes threatening to enter the alliance's airspace."Along NATO's eastern flank, Russian military aircraft have a history of not transmitting a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, not filing a flight plan, and not communicating with air traffic controllers," the alliance said, while noting that most encounters between its jets and their Russian counterparts were "safe and professional."It added that "breaches of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft remained rare and generally of short duration."Business Insider has contacted the US Air Force for comment.<div type="image" title="B 52H Stratofortress" height="1000" width="1500" msid="111908746" hostid="261" sizebytes="34360"></div><h2 id="5980b635-7f43-4b38-aff1-3ac3ac2837f6">The B-52H Stratofortress</h2>The Stratofortress is a multi-purpose, long-range heavy bomber that can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.Capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, the B-52 is designed to conduct "strategic attack, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations," according to the US Air Force.The branch <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.minot.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/264269/b-52h-stratofortress/">says</a> that the B-52 was responsible for dropping 40% of all the weapons used by coalition forces during the Gulf War's Operation Desert Storm, which saw the US and its allies <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/article/1728715/desert-storm-a-look-back/">drop 88,500 tons of bombs</a>.The Air Force <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.afnwc.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Article/2060293/b-52h-stratofortress/">describes</a> the plane as "the backbone" of the US's strategic bomber force.

Russia says it scrambled fighter jets to intercept 2 US B-52H Stratofortress bombers approaching the Russian border     

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The H5N1 <keyword id="753637" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bird-flu-virus" source="Orion">bird flu virus</keyword> is spreading through US cattle herds for the first time.</li><li>The mammal-to-mammal transmission has scientists worried the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-hiv-had-coronavirus-216-days-virus-mutated-2021-6">virus could mutate</a> to spread between humans.</li></ul><keyword id="95867" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bird-flu" source="Orion">Bird flu</keyword> is flying wild. In recent months the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-avian-influenza-outbreak-us-h5n1-wiping-out-everything-2023-4">highly pathogenic H5N1 virus</a> has been spreading through US cattle herds for the first time ever. The cow-to-cow transmission is the latest escalation in a global <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/egg-prices-poised-to-spike-again-thanks-to-avian-flu-2023-12">outbreak</a> that began when the virus reemerged in Europe in 2020. It has since killed tens of millions of birds and more than 40,000 sea lions and seals in South America. World Health Organization chief scientist Jeremy Farrar <a target="_blank" href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148696">called</a> this an "<keyword id="20925201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="animal-pandemic" source="Orion">animal pandemic</keyword>" on April 18. Genetic fragments of the virus, discovered in grocery store milk on Tuesday, suggest the <keyword id="21439799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cattle-outbreak" source="Orion">cattle outbreak</keyword> is more widespread than officials believed, The Washington Post <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/04/23/bird-flu-virus-milk/">reported</a>. Experts told the Post that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-eggs-meat-milk-dairy-safety-during-outbreak-2024-4">drinking pasteurized milk is probably still safe</a>. Pasteurization deactivates pathogens, probably including H5N1, according to the Food and Drug Administration. However, no studies have specifically tested whether pasteurizing milk deactivates H5N1. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/19/health/bird-flu-usda-cattle.html">the New York Times</a>, the FDA is testing that now. <div type="image" title="row of cows sticking their heads through metal bars to eat hay feed" height="1500" width="2250" msid="109603130" hostid="261"></div>One human in Texas has tested positive for the virus after exposure to dairy cattle. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0401-avian-flu.html">According</a> to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that person's only symptom was eye redness. There has been no known human-to-human transmission. Still, future mutation could allow the virus to spread more easily to and between humans — a possibility of "great concern" to Farrar. <div type="image" title="man with turkeys inside coop. sign outside reads 'biosecurity area - no admittance w/o owner permission" height="1400" width="2100" msid="109603131" hostid="261"></div>Dr. Jerome Adams, a former surgeon general and the director of health equity at Purdue University, is getting deja vu. "If it keeps spreading in animals, then it is eventually going to cause problems for humans, either because we don't have food because they've got to start exterminating flocks, or because it starts to make a jump in humans," Adams, <keyword id="6366244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="who" source="Orion">who</keyword> served under former President Donald Trump and was on the administration's initial COVID-19 task force, told Business Insider. "The more it replicates, the more chances it has to mutate." Though he agrees with the CDC's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/inhumans.htm">assessment</a> that the current risk to humans is low, Adams fears the US is repeating many mistakes it made in the early days of COVID-19. <h2>Weak messaging with no clear leaders</h2>Who is in charge of an animal pandemic in the US? The CDC? The US Department of Agriculture? The FDA? The answer is, sort of, all of them. That decentralized responsibility could be behind the lack of widespread, clear public messaging so far. For example, Adams says he hasn't changed anything about his diet, since pasteurization and proper cooking procedures should kill any live virus present. But he isn't sure everyone is getting the message. He compared it to the development of COVID-19 vaccines, when people distrusted a process they didn't understand. <div type="image" title="person with ponytail green hoodie medical gloves inspects eggs in a grocery story" height="1500" width="2000" msid="109603133" hostid="261"></div>"The public needs good consistent communication from the White House, from the USDA, helping reassure them what the process is to keep them safe," Adams said. Rather than consumers, the people most at risk are agricultural workers or anyone with close or prolonged exposure to chickens or cattle. It's those groups who need strong, targeted guidance right now, Adams said. <h2>Only testing the sick</h2>So far, the USDA has only been testing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beef-prices-higher-drought-fewer-cattle-less-meat-2022-8">cattle herds</a> when an animal appears sick. That means asymptomatic spread could be flying under the radar. "An animal can't tell you, 'Hey, I feel a little under the weather today.' So they're literally waiting until an animal is collapsing or showing fatigue or showing severe symptoms," Adams said. "We need a testing strategy that is proactive and allows true surveillance, and not reactive." The USDA took a step forward on Wednesday, ordering that all lactating dairy cows must be tested for H5N1 before they're moved across state lines and that all positive test results must be reported. New York Times columnist Zeynep Tufekci <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/opinion/bird-flu-cow-outbreak.html">reported</a> that same day that, until now, the USDA has not been keeping track of positive test results in cattle. <h2>Election distraction</h2> <div type="image" title="donald trump" height="3333" width="5000" msid="109603134" hostid="261"></div>In late 2019 and early 2020, the big news story was the impeachment, and later acquittal, of President Trump. Now a different <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-hush-money-trial-kicks-off-fiery-da-openings-2024-4">Trump trial</a> is dominating the news. And, as in 2020, this is an election year. "The Biden administration, particularly the White House, has been incredibly quiet on this bird flu situation. Why? To me, it looks like they very much don't want to scare the public and spook the economy in an election year," Adams said. <h2>Business vs. public health</h2>Just like the lockdowns of COVID-19 were devastating for the restaurant and hospitality industries, a crackdown on avian flu can be devastating to the chicken industry. The treatment for a <keyword id="1433269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bird-flu-outbreak" source="Orion">bird flu outbreak</keyword> is to kill all the chickens. Even before that, just testing the flock can slow down production. "We're seeing the same tension between business interests and public health interests," Adams said. What's more, many of the workers who handle chickens and cattle are undocumented immigrants. That can make them and their bosses hesitant to call in authorities over diseased animals. Many vulnerable groups were hesitant to report illness in the early COVID days, too, including migrant workers and people who didn't have sick leave from work. "My concern is we keep making the same mistakes over and over again," Adams said. "Because we keep focusing on the wrong things instead of focusing on the root causes."

Bird flu could jump to humans any day. A former surgeon general says it feels like 2020 again.

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>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Welcome back to our Sunday edition. This is Matt Turner, back in your inbox after a fulfilling and exhausting period of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workers-dont-take-all-parental-leave-because-of-corporate-bias-2022-12">parental leave</a>.What a week to return to work: I started back just in time for a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-return-to-office-mandate-5-days-week-2024-9">big RTO announcement from Amazon</a>, a new crypto venture from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-crypto-partners-chase-herro-zachary-folkman-lawsuits-jail-debt-2024-9">former President Donald Trump</a>, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-cuts-interest-rates-how-much-september-fomc-powell-inflation-2024-9">jumbo rate cut</a> from the Fed, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-new-ceo-elliott-hill-may-help-ailing-sneaker-brand-2024-9">major shakeup at Nike</a>, and a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cheaper-apple-iphone-16-earning-praise-over-pro-models-2024-9">new iPhone launch</a>. There's now just 43 days until the US election.You can keep up to date with all the latest business news (and get your Dan DeFrancesco fix) in our weekday edition, or check out our homepage or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/app">download our app</a>.I'll be here on the weekend to break down some of the biggest stories in business and help you get ahead.On the agenda today:<ul><li>Meet the enigmatic manager who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/larry-page-family-office-koop-ceo-wayne-osborne-wealth-management-2024-9">oversees Larry Page's Google fortune</a>.</li><li>Amazon just dropped the hammer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rto-faq-document-spells-out-new-rule-2024-9">on remote work</a>.</li><li>The Alexander brothers acted like they could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alexander-brothers-oren-alon-tal-rape-sexual-assault-allegations-2024-9">"do whatever they wanted."</a></li><li>Welcome to a new era of work: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-portfolio-career-pros-cons-income-streams-side-hustles-2024-9">The portfolio career</a>.</li></ul>But first: How Nike lost its footing.If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today-sunday-edition">sign up here</a>. Download Insider's app <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/app">here.</a><h3 id="58506b3b-b008-4ead-9e90-71439c9e98dd">This week's dispatch</h3><h2 id="a2d02f54-0792-42da-abd8-aa8332957a15">Nike's airball</h2>It's been a rough few years for the home of the Swoosh.The sports giant has seen declining sales, cost cutting, and a stock price that's down sharply from its 2021 highs. Attempts to go direct to consumers rather than via retailers showed mixed results, while it's faced more competition in China.Arguably worse than that, Nike lost its role as chief purveyor of cool. Asics, New Balance, Hoka, On, and others have stolen a stride in the sneaker business. And Nike's efforts to expand its lifestyle business have missed the mark.Now it's hoping a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-new-ceo-elliott-hill-may-help-ailing-sneaker-brand-2024-9">new CEO</a> can help get it back on track. The Oregon-based company last week announced Elliott Hill would return to the company as CEO, replacing John Donahue. One analyst said his appointment would drive an "immediate morale boost."Nike's stock price popped on the news. Investors are hoping for a change in form.<div type="image" title="Photo collage of Wayne Osborne and Google co-founder Larry Page, surrounded by Google search elements, the Google logo, falling money, yachts, and private islands" height="1500" width="2000" msid="113571621" hostid="261" sizebytes="172450"></div><h2 id="bf62ddae-6ea7-47df-a846-a2896f1b6a1a">Larry Page's money man</h2>Wayne Osborne has guarded the Google founder's fortune since 2012. For years, Osborne has kept his employer shrouded in secrecy. "Wayne operates in the shadows," as one industry peer put it.Now, he's stepping out. Osborne is seeking to promote his new company, Way2B1, whose software can put his trade secrets to work for other investors.There's just one catch: How does he maintain Page's privacy while hawking the secrets to his success?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/larry-page-family-office-koop-ceo-wayne-osborne-wealth-management-2024-9">Inside Osborne's playbook</a>.<h2 id="1269b9e2-104f-48e4-b665-84be703ed57a">RIP, remote work</h2>Amazon officially put the kibosh on remote work, announcing that all corporate workers must return to the office five days a week starting in January. In a memo, CEO Andy Jassy said the company was returning to how "we were before the onset of COVID."An internal "Frequently Asked Questions" document, obtained by Business Insider, outlined how the RTO plan will work. According to the brief, Amazon also ended a policy that gave employees the option to work up to four weeks per year fully remote.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rto-faq-document-spells-out-new-rule-2024-9">See all the details from the internal doc</a>.Also read:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-workers-blast-strict-rto-mandate-five-days-week-2024-9">Amazon employees blast new RTO policy in internal messages: 'Can I negotiate my manager to PIP me?'</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rto-rule-one-medical-2024-9">Amazon's strict new RTO rule creates an awkward situation for One Medical</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rto-employee-coffee-badging-office-2024-9">I work at Amazon, and I plan on 'coffee badging' instead of working from the office 5 days a week</a></li></ul><div type="image" title="The Alexander brothers interspersed with the silhouette of a woman" height="1500" width="2000" msid="113571618" hostid="261" sizebytes="234908"></div><h2 id="d613c78f-a3a9-4058-9d52-14230c12cd70">The Alexander brothers' reign of terror</h2>The brothers were rich. They were powerful. They were handsome. They were not so secretly terrorizing women.In the past three months, more than a dozen women have said they were raped or assaulted by Oren, Alon, and Tal Alexander, whose family made a fortune in real estate and private security. Concerns about their behavior stretch back decades — and yet they got away with decades of alleged abuse.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alexander-brothers-oren-alon-tal-rape-sexual-assault-allegations-2024-9">"They are a menace."</a><div type="image" title="Different images filling up various blocks on a grid referencing a calendar" height="1500" width="2000" msid="113571617" hostid="261" sizebytes="105960"></div><h2 id="d41d777c-2a4f-4892-8c74-15aeb5ec809a">A new way to work</h2>Overemployment and side gigs are nothing new. But as demand for full-time workers slows, more and more people could be looking for a change. Enter: the portfolio career.The term refers to holding down a collection of gigs, whether or not you keep a 9-to-5 job. Diversifying your income stream can help protect you from the whims of the job market, and can offer more flexibility — but it does have some downsides.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-portfolio-career-pros-cons-income-streams-side-hustles-2024-9">How to make a portfolio career work</a>.Also read:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/finding-job-awful-right-now-drop-in-openings-tough-search-2024-9">Why finding a job is so awful right now</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-recent-college-grads-hiring-slowdown-unemployment-higher-than-population-2024-9">Gen Z college grads are bearing the brunt of today's tricky job market</a></li></ul>This week's quote:"But you can't. That's not available to you."— Mark Zuckerberg, after his daughter said she <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-daughter-wanted-to-be-like-taylor-swift-2024-9">wanted to be like Taylor Swift when she grows up</a>.More of this week's top reads:<ul><li>Inside Amazon's new AI-sales machine: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ai-sales-machine-aws-google-microsoft-pressure-pay-speed-2024-9">More pressure, more pay, more speed</a>.</li><li>Introducing the hottest new dating app: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-dating-app-dm-era-of-swipe-fatigue-2024-9">Instagram</a>?</li><li>How stretch limos went from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stretch-limo-death-suv-black-car-uber-lyft-sprinter-2024-9">cool to Craigslist junk</a>.</li><li>Silicon Valley is giving 2021 vibes, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-startups-rapid-funding-rounds-2024-9">AI startups raising back-to-back funding rounds</a>.</li><li>OpenAI and Anthropic AI bots <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-anthropic-ai-bots-havoc-raise-cloud-costs-websites-2024-9">wreak havoc and raise costs for websites</a>.</li><li>Trump's crypto allies boast <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-crypto-partners-chase-herro-zachary-folkman-lawsuits-jail-debt-2024-9">lavish lifestyles amid a trail of debts</a>.</li><li>The illegal maneuvers <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-collar-fraud-wealthy-class-tax-evasion-insider-trading-2024-9">the rich use to get richer</a>.</li><li>Go behind the scenes with the reporter who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-olivia-nuzzi-oliver-darcy-interview-2024-9">uncovered the RFK Jr./Olivia Nuzzi story</a>.The Insider Today team: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dan-defrancesco">Dan DeFrancesco</a>, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jordan-parker-erb">Jordan Parker Erb</a>, editor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/amanda-yen">Amanda Yen</a>, fellow, in New York.</li></ul>

You Searched For "h1b visa news today" and got 8 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

Russia says it scrambled fighter jets to intercept 2 US B-52H Stratofortress bombers approaching the Russian border

Rebecca Rommen

Bird flu could jump to humans any day. A former surgeon general says it feels like 2020 again.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

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

Insider Today: Nike's airball

Matt Turner

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