As part of its revised selection process, the US has hiked by USD 10 the application fee of the H-1B work visa, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals.
The H-1B programme allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the application of a body of highly specialised knowledge and a bachelor's degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent. This non-refundable fee will support the new electronic registration system to make the H-1B cap selection process more efficient for both petitioners and the federal agency, said the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Thursday.
"This effort will help implement a more efficient and effective H-1B cap selection process," said USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli.
"The electronic registration system is part of an agency-wide initiative to modernise our immigration system while deterring fraud, improving vetting procedures and strengthening program integrity," he said.
