H-1B Visa Applications Open for 2024-25 – Start Process Now
The H-1B is a temporary (non-immigrant) visa category that allows employers to file petitions for highly educated foreign professionals to work in “speciality occupations” that require at least a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. The foreigner must specifically work in a field that requires specialised knowledge, for which the employer cannot find a US-based worker.
An H-1B petition is based on a professional job offer from a U.S. employer for the employees. If the employee is outside the USA, then the employee should apply for an H-1B visa. Before we get into who qualifies for an H1B visa and how to apply, however, it’s important to understand the H-1B Visa lottery and H1B Visa caps.
H1B Visa Requirements:
The US H1-B Visa is designed for staff in speciality occupations. The job must meet one of the following criteria to qualify as a speciality occupation for H1B visa 2024-25:
- An employee should hold a job offer from a US employer to work in a suitable position and have at least one of the following conditions.
- For speciality occupations, theoretical and practical application of specialized knowledge is required.
- A bachelor’s or higher degree or its equivalent or verifiable recognized education in the same field from an accredited college or university is the mandatory requirement for speciality occupations.
- Must have an unrestricted state license, which permits working in a special occupation in the US.
- Must have a good conduct certificate and genuine intentions of visiting the USA for work.
- Have a minimum of 4-5 years of work experience in the relevant special occupation the candidate has applied for.
- Applicant must possess deep knowledge in the required field.
- Professional Certifications in the required field of occupation are usually needed.
H-1B Visa Caps
For the H1B Visa Caps for respective Fiscal Year, the caps are:
H-1B Visa Lottery Key Dates:
The registration process dates for a USA H-1B Filing are as follows:
- March 1– Petitioners (employers) can start creating an H1B registrant account at noon US Eastern time.
- March 1 to March 18– H-1B registration period. The registration period opens and closes at noon US Eastern time.
- March 25– The USCIS will notify the selected entrants by this date.
- April 1– if your employer’s petition was selected, this is the earliest date that you may apply for an H1B visa for the respective Fiscal Year.
The above-mentioned fees and costs are correct as of January 2021, but they may change & should be verified before you start any application.
If you need any assistance related to H1B visa filing costs & fees, kindly contact us.
H1B Visa Application Process
Step-by-step process on how to apply for an H1B visa:
- Finding an H1B Sponsor/Employer.
- Electronic registration for H1B Lottery by Sponsor/Employer.
- USCIS notifies employers regarding registration selection results – Lottery Selection Results.
- Employer will file for Labour Conditions Approval (LCA) & submit Form I-129 – H1B Petition to USCIS.
- USCIS will send the H1B Petition Approval notices.
- H1B Applicants with approved petitions go for stamping as needed at a US Embassy or Consulate in their home country.
Supporting Documents for H1B Visa Filing
List of documents needed to state both employee & employer as recognized.
- Education records like diplomas, degrees, training & other evidence for that speciality occupation.
- Maintain the copies & documents which will be the proofs of the contract between the employer & employee.
- Certificates or affidavits by the current & previous employers stating the employee recognition & ability for that occupation.
- Proper documentation stating that the petitioner is a valid employer in the US.
- Establishing proper documentation is necessary to have a clear employer-employee relationship.
- Proper employment offer letter.
Gateway Global Visas will provide complete support and end-to-end assistance in documentation work & filing H1B visas.
H1B Visa Validity
A valid H1B visa is for 3 years and can be extended for three more years; the overall validity of an H1B visa is for a maximum of 6 years.
The individual visa holder can extend their H-1B visa validity by filing for an EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 before the fifth year ends. In this scenario, the candidate should work & stay with the same company; if the candidate switches the company, he must restart the procedure. If you want more information on H1B visa validity & details, please get in touch with us now for complete assistance. Start your H1B visa application process now with Gateway Global Visas. We are the best H1b visa consultants with decades of experience filing h1b visas.
Speciality Occupations list for H1B Visa:
When petitioning for an employee H-1B visa, the employer must show that the relevant position is in a “speciality occupation” in the U.S. and that the beneficiary meets the requirements for the job.
Domains Required for Filing H1B Visa to USA for the Year 2024-25
| Java + Devops | Microsoft .NET + Devops | Python + Devops |
| Data Warehousing | Data Engineering- Snowflake, Databricks | Machine Learning |
| Data Science + AI | Full stack developer + GCP Experience | Full stack developer + AWS Experience |
| Software Test Automation & QA | Technical Project Management | UI/UX, Product Designer |
| Healthcare & Social services | Systems / Business Analyst | Mobile Application Development (iOS, Android, Flutter etc) |
| Cloud Architects (Certified) - AWS, Azure, GCP | UI Developer - ReactJS & AngularJS | ERP - SAP and Oracle |
| CRM - Salesforce | CRM - Pegasystems | API Integration Architects and Developers - Mulesoft |
| Backend Developers - Python/Golang/NodeJS | Robotics - UiPath, AutomationAnywhere, Pega | Analytics - SaS, R |
| RPA Developers | Systems Analyst/Business Systems Analyst/ERP Analysts | Tableau, Google Data Studio, PowerBI, Datawrapper, and Infogram |
| Cyber Security/Information Systems Security | Microservices development | Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) / Infrastructure Engineering |
| SAS Admin | SAS Developer | Coding Specialist |
| Coding Coordinator | Payment Integrity Analyst | Medical coding |
| Healthcare Writer | Quality Improvement Manager or Coordinator | Medical Secretary |
| Medical Records & Health Information Manager | Medical Social Worker | Health Care Administrator |
How Gateway Global Visas will work for your H1B visa filing:
Finding a sponsor & H-1B visa application process can be tedious and must be carefully approached. It’s best to avoid any errors or pitfalls that could lead to a denial or delay of your petition. You need an expert H-1B immigration consultant to help you obtain your H-1B visa.
Gateway Global Visas has partnered with US-based IT and consulting firms to file the US H1B Visa petitions for the respective fiscal Years. We shall source an offer letter based on the applicant profile from the right sponsor for filling out the U.S. H1B petition. Gateway Global Visas will ensure that your petition is filled accurately and securely till it reaches the immigration officer’s desk.
Gateway Global Visas, having nearly a decade of knowledge and experience in filing H1B visas, is immensely committed to helping our clients get the best results in their journey. At Gateway Global Visas, we offer the best services with our experienced team, and we strive to assist our clients in their immigration journey. With all these, we are India’s best USA H1B visa consultant, and we have offices at four major metro locations: Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune.
