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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>Under the <keyword id="11940509" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trump-administration" source="Orion">Trump administration</keyword>, <keyword id="11940507" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="asylum" source="Orion">asylum</keyword> applications were suddenly rejected due to blank spaces.</li><li>An applicant who was not married would be rejected for not writing "N/A" for a spouse's name.</li><li>More than 60,000 asylum applications were rejected under the policy.</li></ul>Immigrants applying for asylum in the United States who had their applications rejected over a "no blank space" policy under the Trump administration will be given a second chance, thanks to a new settlement.As this reporter noted <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/dec/23/us-immigration-trump-asylum-seekers">in a feature for the Guardian</a>, long-time <keyword id="11940510" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="immigration" source="Orion">immigration</keyword> attorneys began complaining in 2019 that asylum cases were being rejected for a novel, pedantic reason: irrelevant lines on the application being left blank.Some asylum-seekers had their cases rejected because they listed two siblings, for example, but did not write "N/A" in the remaining spaces provided for brothers and sisters they did not have. Spanish speakers had their applications turned away for not spelling out their name, for a second time, in a "native alphabet."More than 60,000 applications were rejected for such reasons, according to the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, which filed a November 2020 lawsuit over the policy change, alleging that was a mere bureaucratic pretext for denying humanitarian relief.In July 2021, a US federal judge approved a settlement in that case. Under the agreement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services will allow provide rejected applicants a chance to apply again by July 20, 2022, with their application backdated to the time their initial claim was rejected.<keyword id="11940508" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uscis" source="Orion">USCIS</keyword> <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-reaches-settlement-agreement-in-no-blank-space-rejection-policy-case">said this month</a> it will notify anyone who might be eligible."It was an outrageous policy clearly aimed to impede individuals from obtaining the humanitarian benefits that Congress has provided," Matt Adams, legal director at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, said in a statement. "It aptly demonstrates the Trump administration's utter disregard of the <keyword id="11899820" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="law" source="Orion">law</keyword>."Have a <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> tip? Email this reporter: <a href="mailto:cdavis@insider.com">cdavis@insider.com</a>

60,000+ asylum-seekers who had applications rejected by the Trump administration over 'blank spaces' are about to get a second chance

Some foreign guest workers in the US will be able to re-submit their applications for the H1-B visa, the most sought-after non-immigrant visa among Indian IT professionals, if their petition was solely rejected because it was based on the initial registration period, according to a federal agency. According to the <keyword id="368921" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Citizenship-and-Immigration-Services">US Citizenship and Immigration Services</keyword> (<keyword id="137642" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="USCIS">USCIS</keyword>), such re-submission of applications is for those whose applications have been rejected or administratively closed solely because the requested start date was after October 1, 2020. The <keyword id="54093" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="H-1B">H-1B</keyword> visa allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> and <keyword id="1334" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>. If your FY 2021 petition was rejected or administratively closed solely because your petition was based on a registration submitted during the initial registration period, but you requested a start date after Oct. 1, 2020, you may re-submit that previously filed petition, with all applicable fees, USCIS said on Wednesday. Such petitions must be re-submitted before October 1, 2021. If properly resubmitted, we will consider the petition to have been filed on the original receipt date, the USCIS said. In 2020, USCIS implemented an electronic registration process for the H-1B cap. Prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and pay the USD 10 H-1B registration fee for each beneficiary. The electronic registration process has streamlined processing by reducing paperwork and data exchange and provided overall cost savings to employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, it said. According to USCIS, for fiscal 2021, the number of petitions filed during the initial filing period was below the number projected as needed to reach the numerical allocations. This discrepancy was likely related to multiple factors, including the economic, political, and public health uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the fact that FY 2021 was the first year that we implemented the electronic registration process. Therefore, in August 2020, we selected additional registrations that were held in reserve. The filing period for registrations selected in August ended on November 16, 2020, it said. Some petitioners indicated a start date after October 1, 2020. We rejected or administratively closed those petitions because they were based on registrations submitted during the initial registration period but indicated a start date after October 1, 2020. Upon reconsideration, we no longer believe that the regulations required us to reject or administratively close those petitions, the USCIS said. The move comes days after the powerful <keyword id="420863" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Chambers-of-Commerce">US Chambers of Commerce</keyword> launched a massive campaign to address the acute shortage of skilled and professional workforce in America. The demand to increase the H-1B quota, which currently is at 65,000 and another 20,000 for those who have higher studies from the US, is part of the America Works campaign launched by the US Chambers of Commerce early this month. As we stand on the cusp of what could be a great American resurgence, a worker shortage is holding back job creators across the country, US <keyword id="6693414" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chamber-of-commerce">Chamber of Commerce</keyword> president and CEO Suzanne Clark said. We must arm workers with the skills they need, we must remove barriers that are keeping too many Americans on the sidelines, and we must recruit the very best from around the world to help fill high-demand jobs, Clark said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/heres-how-chinas-2021-crypto-crackdown-in-2021-differs-from-the-2017-ban/articleshow/83802778.cms">Here’s how China’s 2021 crypto crackdown in 2021 differs from the 2017 ban</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zomato-is-seeking-a-8-billion-valuation-in-its-ipo-does-it-make-sense/articleshow/83801848.cms">There are a few reasons why Zomato wants $8 billion valuation from its IPO -- here's a look at if it makes sense</a>

US allows some H-1B visa seekers to re-submit their applications, according to federal agency

The United States on Thursday announced that it will modify the selection process for H-1B visa, giving priority to salary and skills instead of the current lottery procedures. The final rule to be published in the federal register on January 8, officials said, is aimed to protect the economic interests of US workers and better ensure the most highly skilled foreign workers benefit from the temporary employment programme. 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. Modifying the H-1B cap selection process will incentivise employers to offer higher salaries, and/or petition for higher-skilled positions, and establish a more certain path for businesses to achieve personnel needs and remain globally competitive, said <keyword id="368921" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Citizenship-and-Immigration-Services">US Citizenship and Immigration Services</keyword>. The final rule will be effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. The next H-1B visa filing season is slated to start on April 1. "The H-1B temporary visa programme has been exploited and abused by employers primarily seeking to fill entry-level positions and reduce overall business costs," said <keyword id="137642" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="USCIS">USCIS</keyword> Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow. "The current H-1B random selection process makes it difficult for businesses to plan their hiring, fails to leverage the programme to compete for the best and brightest international workforce, and has predominantly resulted in the annual influx of foreign labor placed in low-wage positions at the expense of US workers," he said. This effort will only affect H-1B registrations (or petitions, if the registration process is suspended) submitted by prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions. It will be implemented for both the H-1B regular cap and the H-1B advanced degree exemption, but it will not change the order of selection between the two as established by the H-1B registration final rule, USCIS said. The <keyword id="134917" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="department-of-homeland-security">Department of Homeland Security</keyword> had previously published a notice of proposed rulemaking on November 2, 2020. It carefully considered the public comments received before deciding to publish the proposed regulations as a final rule, USCIS said. According to the final rule, a version of which was released by Department of Homeland Security, Instead, a registration system that faithfully implements the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) while prioritising registrations based on wage level within each cap will incentivize H-1B employers to offer higher wages, or to petition for positions requiring higher skills and higher-skilled aliens that are commensurate with higher wage levels, to increase the likelihood of selection and eligibility to file an H-1B cap-subject petition. Moreover, it will maximize H-1B cap allocations, so that they more likely will go to the best and brightest workers; and it will disincentivise abuse of the H-1B programme to fill relatively lower-paid, lower-skilled positions, which is a significant problem under the present selection system, it said. "While administering a random lottery system is reasonable, it is inconsiderate of Congress's statutory purposes for the H-1B program and its administration," said the final rule. The changes in this final rule will apply to all registrations, including those for the advanced degree exemption, submitted on or after the effective date of the final rule. As per Congressional-mandated cap, USCIS in one year can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas. It can also issue another 20,000 H-1B visas to those foreign students who have completed higher studies from a US university in STEM subjects. During the public notice period, the department said, several commenters expressed support for the rule and the need to stop visa fraud, abuse, and flooding of petitions by certain staffing or consulting companies. One commenter said the proposed rule would disincentivize companies from abusing the H-1B programme and harming US workers. Other commenters said the proposed rule would decrease potential visa abuse by employers and make sure all workers were paid according to their skillset as employers no longer would be able to lower labor expenses by hiring foreign workers. Another said that the proposed rule would have a positive impact on US employees and college educated US citizens who take out loans for their education by making it harder for technology companies to discriminate against US citizens; US workers are being laid off in large numbers because corporations are outsourcing for profits; and the proposed rule is necessary because Indian corporations are acquiring US jobs, it said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tcs-ongc-tata-power-punjab-national-bank-nhpc-and-other-top-stocks-to-watch/articleshow/80164057.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">TCS’ market share, ONGC’s borrowing, Tata Power gets new territories⁠— these and other top stocks to watch</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/whatsapp-is-forcing-users-to-share-personal-data-with-facebook-and-elon-musk-is-urging-people-to-switch-to-signal-a-smaller-encrypted-messaging-app/articleshow/80156317.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">WhatsApp is forcing users to share personal data with Facebook, and Elon Musk is urging people to switch to Signal, a smaller encrypted messaging app</a>

US to modify H1B visa selection process — wages, skill level to get priority over lottery system

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/more-than-184000-indians-applied-for-h1b-visa-for-fy20-21/articleshow/74938489.cms">H-1B visa</a> is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to employ highly skilled workers from other countries.</li><li>Congress allows <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/">U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)</a> to issue up to 65,000 <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-dod-cooperative-research-and-development-project-workers-and-fashion-models">H-1B work visas</a> to highly skilled foreign workers each year. It can issue an additional 20,000 H-1B visas to workers who obtained a graduate degree in the U.S.</li><li>Because more people apply than can be accepted, the visas are run through a <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-and-fashion-models/h-1b-fiscal-year-fy-2021-cap-season">lottery system</a>.</li><li>If you get laid off on an H-1B visa, you have several options: Find a new employer to sponsor your <keyword id="395013" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="H1-B">H1-B</keyword> visa; get a spousal support visa; apply to change your status to a student or tourist visa; or leave the U.S.</li><li>Your visa status will expire 60 days after termination.</li></ul>In April, the unemployment rate in the U.S. jumped to 14.7% — the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/april-jobs-report-unemployment-rate-payrolls-record-us-economy-coronavirus-2020-5">highest</a> it's been since the Great Depression. The April <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chart-showing-employment-declines-over-past-recessions-2020-5">jobs report</a> shows that more than 20 million jobs were lost in a single month.While a sudden loss of employment is cause for concern for anyone, it comes with an additional concern for foreign workers who are in the U.S. on an H-1B visa.That's because foreign workers facing unemployment have 60 days from termination to come up with a formal reason for staying in the U.S. That reason must be accepted by the U.S. government, or the foreign worker will have to leave the country. <a href="https://www.niskanencenter.org/how-the-coronavirus-will-kick-legal-immigrants-out-of-line-and-out-of-the-country/">Jeremy Neufeld, an immigration policy analyst with the Washington, DC, think tank Niskanen Center estimated in a recent article that</a> more than 200,000 foreign workers on H-1B visas could lose their legal status by the end of June. This could include employed foreign workers who have to renew their visas in June.If you've recently lost your job in the U.S. and are on an H-1B visa, here are your options. <h2>1. Talk to an <keyword id="50403" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Immigration">immigration</keyword> attorney </h2>The first thing a foreign worker with an H-1B visa should do after getting laid off is consult with an immigration lawyer.Business Insider spoke to three experts — Karla M. McKanders, a clinical law professor at Vanderbilt University; <a href="https://law.stanford.edu/directory/lucas-guttentag/">Lucas Guttentag</a>, a law professor at Stanford and Yale; and <a href="https://www.roseimmigration.com/">Linda Rose, a practicing immigration lawyer</a> — and all three agreed on that step. Rose stressed the importance of consulting with the right type of attorney."We strongly recommend the individual consult with a knowledgeable attorney," Rose said. "Not all immigration attorneys practice business immigration."Suggested resource: <a href="https://www.aila.org/">The American Immigrant Lawyers Association (AILA)</a> is an organization of attorneys and law professors who represent foreign students, workers, asylum seekers, usually on a volunteer basis.<h2>2. Try to find a new employer</h2>Another option for those who have been recently laid off is to find a new employer.To continue working in the U.S., those on an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/-coronavirus-pressure-laid-off-foreign-workers-2020-5">H-1B visa</a> must find another employer who is willing to sponsor their H-1B visa.Suggested resource: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (<keyword id="137642" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="USCIS">USCIS</keyword>) has an <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/h-1b-data-hub">H-1B Employer Data Hub</a>. Those looking for an H1-B sponsor can use this tool to find out which employers have sponsored foreign workers on an H-1B between 2009 and 2020. <h2>3. Change your visa status in the allotted 60-day time period</h2><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/visit-united-states/change-my-nonimmigrant-status">To change your visa status</a> is to formally change your reason for being in the U.S. This formal change has to be approved by the U.S. government and it has to happen within the 60-day period that starts directly after termination. Even outside a pandemic, it's a difficult process in America, McKanders, the Vanderbilt professor, told Business Insider."Someone who is in the United States seeking to change their visa status during the pandemic ... will have a hard time navigating through this process," McKanders told Business Insider. "The law during the pandemic is complex and constantly in flux."Start your visa application process by filing an application with <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/forms/file-online">USCIS</a>.From there, applicants typically go through several more steps, including fingerprinting, interviews, background checks, and sometimes <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/AFM/HTML/AFM/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-1067/0-0-0-1318.html">requests for more information</a>.Guttentag, who founded and ran the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants' Rights Project for almost three decades, told Business Insider than under normal circumstances, reported cycle times for changing one's visa status range from three to 12 months.The <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-response-covid-19">USCIS suspended all in-person interviews and fingerprinting on March 18</a>. The offices are scheduled to reopen on June 4, and online filing is always recommended for submitting forms.<h2 style="font-weight: 400;">3a. Alternate visa options to consider include a visitor visa and a student visa</h2>While there are multiple <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/all-visa-categories.html">visa categories</a>, most foreign workers are likely to be eligible for the following types of visas. The first option is a B-1/B-2 visa, which is a visitor visa, Rose told Business Insider.B-1 visas are meant for those visiting the U.S. for business purposes. B-2 visas are meant for tourists. The other option for foreign workers is to try applying for a student (F-1) visa, Rose told Business Insider. However, timing is critical. The <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html">U.S. Department of State</a> recommends applying for your F-1 visa early because interview wait times vary depending on your location, and amid the pandemic, all interviews are suspended until June 4 at the earliest.<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/08/business/china-us-coronavirus-workers-intl-hnk/index.html">Tang Chen, a foreign worker from China who was recently laid off, told CNN</a> that she has been applying to colleges to get an F-1 visa so she can legally stay in the U.S.<h2>4. Apply for a spousal support visa</h2>A spousal support visa allows one to continue to work in the U.S. as long as their spouse remains employed.A recently laid-off startup employee previously told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/-coronavirus-pressure-laid-off-foreign-workers-2020-5">Business Insider</a> that his wife was only authorized to work in the United States under a spousal support visa linked to his continued employment, forcing her to leave her job if he fails to find one.Suggested Resource: <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/family-immigration/nonimmigrant-visa-for-a-spouse-k-3.html">The U.S. Department of State</a> has an overview of spousal support visas, including information about who is eligible for one and how to apply.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-if-lose-h1b-visa-immigrant-layoffs-resources-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

What to do if you get laid off on an H-1B visa during the coronavirus pandemic

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11964937" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="humanitarian-parole" source="Orion">Humanitarian parole</keyword> allows vulnerable people to come into the US while they apply for legal status.</li><li>The <keyword id="11908406" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden-administration" source="Orion">Biden administration</keyword> recently announced it would admit some Afghans under the policy.</li><li>But refugee advocates say the cost of applying is out of reach for many who need help.</li></ul>It was not easy to get out of Afghanistan, even before the Taliban took over, with most of the country's neighbors having closed their borders to prevent an influx of refugees.After the terrorist attack outside the airport in Kabul, it is only harder.Indeed, it's not even clear the US will be evacuating anymore of its former Afghan allies, much less the many others who fear persecution.But Afghanistan will not be cut off from the rest of the world forever, nor will the crisis there end tomorrow. And there is one thing the White House could do right now that would address one additional hurdle: eliminate the $575 filing fee for those coming from a country where the per capita income is only just over $500.Paying the fee, of course, does not guarantee an application will be successfully processed. And for large families in the US seeking to sponsor relatives back in Afghanistan, the fees can add up.In an <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/why-the-u-s-government-should-waive-fees-for-afghan-refugees-seeking-humanitarian-parole/">essay for WHYY</a>, a public radio station in Philadelphia, Cathryn Miller-Wilson, executive director of HIAS Pennsylvania, highlighted example of a family with 22 relatives, "one of whom was executed by the Taliban this week," who "would need to raise $12,650 within days" just to pay for their applicationsEven allowing those people to file at all was a belated victory.In April, refugee resettlement agencies <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlift-vulnerable-people-out-of-afghanistan-refugee-group-urges-2021-4">called on the Biden administration</a> to circumvent the immigration bureaucracy - a backlog of some 17,000 Special Immigrant Visa applications - and allow vulnerable Afghans to apply for "humanitarian parole;" they also called for immediately airlifting them out of the country.That advice was not heeded until after Kabul fell to the Taliban. It was then that the administration changed tack, allowing at least some Afghans to come to the US on this rarely used "parole."As US Citizenship and Immigration Services <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/humanitarian-parole/information-for-afghan-nationals-on-parole-into-the-united-states">explains</a>, parole is available to those who face an "urgent humanitarian" situation; it does not provide permanent residency or any other legal immigration status, but does allow those who receive it to escape immediate danger and then apply for asylum once in the US. Although US officials say they will refer parolees to refugee agencies for further assistance, they are not eligible to receive the government benefits as refugees - compounding the financial burden on them and their families.<keyword id="11940508" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uscis" source="Orion">USCIS</keyword> does have a process for <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-fees/additional-information-on-filing-a-fee-waiver">requesting that the fee be waived</a>, provided one demonstrates financial distress. But it's not guaranteed, and it's another bureaucratic hurdle that advocates say is not justified during an emergency.Anneke Kat, a community engagement specialist at HIAS Pennsylvania, a refugee resettlement agency, said her group is asking USCIS to get rid of it altogether."[We're] asking the administration to waive those fees and remove this really obvious barrier to being able to even engage in the system," she told Insider.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Have a news tip? Email this reporter: <a href="mailto:cdavis@insider.com">cdavis@insider.com</a>

How much is a life worth? Refugee advocates ask Biden to waive fees for fleeing Afghans

How small-town Maine embraced a family that fled the Taliban

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

<ul class="summary-list"><li>It's been about one year since the US pulled out of Afghanistan, leaving some of its allies behind.</li><li>A former CIA analyst and Afghanistan war vet said people in the country still need help getting out.</li></ul>A former CIA analyst and Afghanistan war veteran said people from Afghanistan that are seeking refuge in the US aren't being helped in the same way Ukrainian refugees."The president of the United States could, right now, at this very minute save most of these people," Matt Zeller, senior advisor for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America organization, told Insider while speaking about the people who were left behind in Afghanistan. Zeller argued those awaiting help in Afghanistan should have access to the same humanitarian parole as Ukrainian refugees.More than 300,000 Afghan civilians helped the US military during the 20-year war, but thousands were left behind, with many awaiting visas for years prior to the pullout, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/us/afghanistan-visa-refugees-us.html">The New York Times</a> reported. Zeller, who works with several organizations that assist veterans and allies, says he has not been able to get anyone out of the country since the Taliban took over.The US withdrawal from Afghanistan was completed around one year ago on August 30, 2021. It marked the culmination of 20 years that the US military spent conducting operations to prevent terrorist attacks on <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_8189.htm#:~:text=NATO%20Allies%20went%20into%20Afghanistan,to%20attack%20NATO%20member%20countries.">NATO member countries</a> from the region in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is also approaching its six-month mark, but the US response has not been the same for refugees from both countries. At least <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/afghan-refugees-in-the-u-s-how-theyre-vetted-where-theyre-going-and-how-to-help-11630677004">76,000 Afghans</a> migrated to the US since withdrawal plans were announced in 2021. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/71000-ukrainians-arrived-us-march-rcna34980">more than 71,000 Ukrainians</a> have sought refuge in the US since the war began on February 24, 2022.Ukrainians are able to seek parole through a program called <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/ukraine">Uniting for Ukraine</a>, which allows people in the US to sponsor Ukrainians they know to come to the country. The parole allows refugees to stay in the US while their visa or citizenship is processed — which may take as long as 18 years, according to Zeller.Uniting for Ukraine is "a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are outside the United States to come to the United States and stay temporarily in a two-year period of parole," according to the Department of Homeland Security's <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/ukraine">Citizens and Immigration Services sector</a>.One caveat, the department adds, is that participants are required to have a fully-vetted "supporter in the United States who agrees to provide them with financial support" for their two-year stay, but there is no fee to apply.Afghan nationals who remain in the country are not eligible for humanitarian parole, per the department's <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/humanitarian-parole/information-for-afghan-nationals-on-requests-to-uscis-for-humanitarian-parole">website</a>: "At this time, we are unable to complete processing of your parole request while you are in Afghanistan because the U.S. Embassy in Kabul is closed and all normal consular services in Afghanistan have been suspended."Parole for Afghan nationals is only available for those who made it outside of Afghanistan on their own since the embassy shut down, according to USCIS.By May of this year, approximately 45,000 Afghan people had applied for humanitarian parole since last July, but only 270 were conditionally approved, while 2,200 applications were denied, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-humanitarian-parole-works-and-why-so-many-afghan-families-are-waiting-to-be-reunited">PBS reported</a>.The parole application also costs nearly $600, making it an unaffordable option for many, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jillgoldenziel/2021/09/01/theres-a-little-known-tool-to-protect-afghan-allies-let-them-use-it/?sh=47f92852bee4">Forbes reported</a>."My qualm is, if we can do it for the Ukrainians, why can't we do it for our nation's longest wartime ally?" Zeller told Insider.<div type="image" title="US Army Captain Matt Zeller (L) with translator Janis Shenwari, whom he credits for saving his life in a firefight in Afghanistan in November 2008, during an interview on November 21, 2013 in Arlington, Virginia. After 5 years of struggle, Shenwari is one of the lucky few who was able to take advantage of the special Visa program for Afghanistan interpreters." height="2378" width="3171" msid="93698683" hostid="261" sizebytes="413020"></div>As the process stands, according to Zeller, people in Afghanistan that worked with the US military and are looking to get out of the country can try applying for the Special Immigration Visa program.The program, which differs from humanitarian parole, is available only "to persons who worked with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission authority as a translator or interpreter in Iraq or Afghanistan," <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/humanitarian-parole/information-for-afghan-nationals-on-requests-to-uscis-for-humanitarian-parole">according to the State Department</a>. It also only issues up to 50 visas per year."That's assuming that they survived the Taliban death squads that are actively hunting them or the famine that's ongoing — which is so horrific that parents are literally selling their children so that they can get food to feed their other kids," Zeller said. Economic turmoil in the region has led to a food shortage affecting millions of Afghans, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afghanistan-over-half-of-population-faces-food-crisis-winter-2021-10">Insider previously reported</a>. World Vision, <a href="https://www.insider.com/a-humanitarian-org-director-who-stayed-in-kabul-is-hopeful-2021-9">a humanitarian organization in Afghanistan</a>, <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/afghan-families">said</a> the shortage has forced parents to face the difficult decision to sell their children to provide food for the rest of the family."The only thing your readers really need to know is that Afghanistan is hell on earth," Zeller added. "We abandoned the vast majority of the people that we were trying to assist to die the most gruesome and painful and prolonged of deaths."

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

PTI

60,000+ asylum-seekers who had applications rejected by the Trump administration over 'blank spaces' are about to get a second chance

Charles Davis

US allows some H-1B visa seekers to re-submit their applications, according to federal agency

PTI

US to modify H1B visa selection process — wages, skill level to get priority over lottery system

PTI

What to do if you get laid off on an H-1B visa during the coronavirus pandemic

Joey Hadden

How much is a life worth? Refugee advocates ask Biden to waive fees for fleeing Afghans

Charles Davis

How small-town Maine embraced a family that fled the Taliban

Elyse Lightman Samuels

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

IANS

Ex-CIA analyst and war veteran says Afghan refugees should get the same opportunities as Ukrainian refugees

Taiyler Simone Mitchell

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