Immigration Overview

H1-B Visa

Obtaining Sponsorship: Requirements and Procedures

Virginia Immigration Lawyers at Yacub Law Offices

Dedicated exclusively to immigration issues, the Falls Church, Virginia Yacub Law Offices assists numerous professionals in obtaining work visas necessary for employment in the United States. While our immigration attorneys represent clients throughout the Washington DC metro area, including Fairfax, Arlington, Silver Spring, and Bethesda, we also represent clients across the United States. For information regarding our lawyers and services, contact the Yacub Law Offices today.

What an H1-B Visa Is

The H-1B classification permits professional immigrants who obtain a sponsorship in the United States to work for their sponsor. While individual employers may sponsor a non-citizen immigrant professional, the H-1B visa can functions as a company sponsored visa as well. The H-1B professional must have a bachelor's degree or its functional equivalent and be sponsored to work in a profession that typically requires a bachelor's degree. Computer programmers, doctors, engineers and other highly skilled professionals usually secure employment through the H-1B program.

What are the Restrictions of an H-1B Visa?

Although the H-1B visa is widely used by professional immigrants, it places important restrictions on applicants. First, the H-1B work visa has a quota of 65,000 visas per year. That number is greatly reduced as a consequence of two free trade agreements, one with Singapore and the second with Chile. As a result of the two free trade agreements, Chile and Singapore are allotted 10,000 visas a piece. Therefore, nationals who are not from those two countries are allotted 45,000 visas per year.

The Companies and Industries Involved

The range of professions and of companies which can sponsor an H-1B employee are extremely diverse. Any company or start up businesses with minimal funding through a multi national conglomerate can hire an H-1B employee so long as the employer can pay the employee the prevailing wage. The range of professions included is wide-ranging: it encompasses attorneys, doctors, psychologists, and artists to software developers, engineers, scientists, consultants, and market researchers.

In each case, the job itself must typically require a four year college degree. As such, any non-citizen immigrant considered for the job must also possess a four year college degree. If these requirements are met, the H-1B visa also compels the employer to pay the employee the prevailing wage - that is, the numerical average wage a US worker would receive for the same employment.

Taking Advantage of Opportunities

Depending on the number of visas already issued, you may have difficulty in obtaining a H-1B visa. In order to avoid problems and take advantage of any opportunities available to you, contact the immigration lawyers at Yacub Law Offices today. Our attorneys can explain the process involved, work closely with you and your employer, making sure necessary papers and documents are in order.

Representing clients in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and throughout the United States, our immigration lawyers are flexible and available for appointments to meet the demands of our clients. Call us today and start taking advantage of your opportunities.