H-1B applicants hope for best, plan for worst
With 65,000 H-1B visas available, IT hiring managers and immigration experts say to have Plan B ready.
By
Denise Dubie
,
Network World
, 03/25/2008
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Companies sponsoring an H-1B visa applicant this week should not only be triple-checking paperwork as the April 1 filing deadline approaches, but should
also be preparing alternatives to put in place if attempts to secure an H-1B hire fail.
IT hiring managers familiar with the process say they expect their hopes of attaining one of the 65,000 H-1B visas allotted for 2009 to be dashed by midday April 1.
"It's a challenge to get an H-1B visa because they run out so fast. We apply for some, but don't count on them. With the nature of H-1B today -- they are nearly
impossible to get if you are late to the game for a new application -- it is not company policy to not go for them, but we
know it can be a long shot," says Jennifer Russell, vice president and director of recruiting at direct-marketing firm Digitas
in Boston.
Last year, the government received more than double the number of applications than slots to be filled within hours, and this year industry watchers anticipate more of the same.
"The backlog is so huge, I don't expect to see any change in the H-1B results," says Roger Cochetti, group director of U.S.
Public Policy at CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association.
For that reason, many of those looking to fill positions are looking for alternative hiring plans, considering the increased
demand for what seems to many to be too few available visas.
"You put an offer out for an H-1B, but you aren't sure if you are going get it. If you do, the hire doesn't start work until
October. Basically you try to fill the position and just cross your fingers that it works out in the end," Russell says.
Pay for premium application filing
To start, immigration experts advise companies to do their homework about the candidate they are sponsoring as well as the
specifics required in the application.
"Even if an application gets selected out of the pool, if there are any errors in the application, it will be rejected immediately,"
says Peter Roberts, partner at corporate immigration law firm McCarter & English. "Clearly you have to get it in the first
day, but there is pressure to have no errors or unflagged issues."
To avoid those issues, most companies employ immigration experts to handle the visa application process and wait for results
of the random selection process. But to reduce the wait time, Roberts says sponsor companies could choose to pay $1,000 for
"premium processing," which would deliver results of the application within 10 days. Premium processing would also give the
sponsoring company a specific case agent to call if there is a request for evidence from the government, for instance.
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Comments (9)
over 85K H-1B visas up for grabs April 1By Dean on March 26, 2008, 3:48 pmThe "limit" on H-1B visas is over 85K, broken down as follows, according to information on the USCIS site: 1,400 nationals of Chile; 5,400 nationals of Singapore;...
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Alternative Plan if Not Enough H1B HiresBy Continuum on March 26, 2008, 4:05 pmWow....maybe the out of luck firms would then hire an American worker at a realistic going wage, rather than labor wage busting foreigners. Just a thought.
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follow-up on limits, recruiting, etc.By Dean on March 26, 2008, 4:06 pmPutting the number 65K in the head-line and burying the rest in the story is deceptive, making the number of available H-1B visas seem much smaller than it actually...
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top 9 companyes get over 1000 H1Bs for each!!!By Anonymous on March 26, 2008, 4:24 pmOut of the top 5 companies, 4 of them are from India. The only exception being Microsoft Corporation. These top 5 get 4908,4002,3117,3046,2880 and 2226 H1Bs for...
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How About Hiring Americans?By ch3m15t on March 27, 2008, 8:19 amWHy are these jobs being given out in the first place? THis is supposed to be for when a qualified worker cannot be found in the current pool of workers. I am tired...
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how come your writtenBy Anonymous on March 27, 2008, 3:37 pmhow come your written english is bad ?
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