The highly anticipated H1B visa filing season for fiscal 2023-24 will officially begin on March 1 when the US immigration agency will start accepting applications for skilled foreign workers visas, the most sought-after by Indian IT professionals.
The H1B visa 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 tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2023, it will accept applications between March 1 and March 17 petitions for H-1B visas that allow them to work and live in the US for up to six years in specialised fields such as technology, engineering, and medicine.
After six years, it opens up pathways to permanent residency or Green Card.
"If we receive enough registrations by March 17, we will randomly select registrations and send selection notifications via users' myUSCIS online accounts. If we do not receive enough registrations, all registrations that were properly submitted in the initial registration period will be selected," the USCIS said.
"We intend to notify account holders by March 31," a media release said. The USCIS said it would release additional information in the coming weeks.
The H1B visa allocations are capped at 85,000 visas per year, with 20,000 of those set aside for workers holding advanced degrees from US institutions.
The remaining 65,000 visas are awarded through a lottery system, making the competition for H1B visas fierce.
The high demand for H1B visas has led to calls for reforms to the programme, with many advocating for an increase in the number of visas available and a simplification of the application process.
Proponents argue that the H-1B programme is crucial for maintaining the United States' position as a global leader in technology and innovation, while also supporting the country's economy.
Go First to get Rs 210 crore under govt's credit line guarantee scheme: CEOMumbai, Jan 29 (PTI) Wadia group-owned Go First expects to receive Rs 210 crore under the government's credit line guarantee scheme next month as the budget airline seeks to boost its financial position and expand operations.
The airline, which received Rs 210 crore from the promoters last month, aims to have 53 operational aircraft in its fleet by the start of April this year, its CEO Kaushik Khona told PTI.
The airline currently has 37 aircraft in operation.
Apart from the coronavirus pandemic headwinds and intense competition, the no-frills airline is grappling with the Pratt & Whitney engine issues that have forced it to ground many planes due to a shortage of spare engines.
Under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), which has come as a relief for many pandemic-hit sectors, Go First has so far availed Rs 600 crore.
With promoters' infusing Rs 210 crore, the airline will be able to get an equal amount under the ECLGS next month, Khona said.
In an interview, Khona said the engine issues are "gradually" getting resolved, and 20 new engines from Pratt & Whitney are expected to come by April.
Twenty engines can help Go First operationalise 10 aircraft. One plane has two engines.
According to him, seven new Airbus A320 neo planes will be inducted by April first week. Of this, the airline inducted one such plane last week.
Of the remaining six, two will come in February, three in March and one in April, he added.
