H-1B Visas

Illinois H-1B Work Visa Attorney

At the law office of Ana M. Mencini & Associates, P.C., a large part of our employment immigration practice consists of helping qualified workers apply for the H-1B work visa. This is a nonimmigrant visa which allows a professional worker to be employed temporarily in the United States.

The most important requirement for the H-1B work visa is the filing deadline of April 1 for a work start date of October 1. If you do not submit an application before this date, you are ineligible for the year and cannot qualify for one of the 65,000 H-1B visas given each year by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Do not wait and miss your chance: Contact employment immigration lawyer Ana M. Mencini today for immediate help.

Requirements for the H-1B Work Visa

For a professional worker to qualify under the requirements of the H-1B visa and be granted H-1B status, the following must be met:

• Specialty worker must have at least a four-year college degree, or to qualify for the exemption, a Masters degree or higher
• Worker must be employed temporarily in a specialty position or as a fashion model, according to the USCIS
• Worker can be employed for up to six years under the H-1B, unless he or she files for an extension under certain circumstances
• Worker must file an application by the April 1 deadline, with no exception

If all the requirements are met, the application will be accepted and H-1B work visas will be assigned based on a random selection of all applications. First, applicants that qualify for the exemption based on an advanced degree (Masters or higher) will be drawn to fill a 20,000 exemption cap. Then, applicants are selected randomly until the 65,000 cap is reached. If your application is not selected, you are not issued H-1B status.

Itasca immigration lawyer Ana M. Mencini can help workers with H-1B work visas to apply for adjustment of status to get their permanent resident cards, also called green cards. Many H-1B status workers obtain their green card this way.

If you do not qualify for an H-1B work visa, we can explain whether you have other options for getting a nonimmigrant employment visa, such as the B-1 visa.

Contact our firm if you need help with the application for an H-1B work visa or an extension of your H-1B status.