US Immigration News

Tens of thousands of people every year are granted a Green Card under the Diversity Visa Lottery. If you have always dreamed of living and working in the United States, it may be worth submitting your details for the 2012 Diversity Visa Lottery (otherwise known as the Green Card Lottery).

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced they will raise fees for most US immigration services. Only the naturalization fee will remain unaffected. The increase is an attempt to close the $200 million deficit for fiscal year 2010-11.

Most fees are expected to increase by an average of about 10 percent. In some cases, fees will actually drop and fee waivers will be expanded to a number of "new categories". The adjusted fees will go into effect on 23 November, 2010.

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), approximately 31,000 H-1B visas are still available for fiscal year 2011. During the boom years there was always a shortage of H-1B visas and it was very difficult for companies to obtain this visa for their foreign employees.

If you are a national of a Country on the US visa waiver scheme you will from 8 September 2010 have to pay a fee of $14 under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). From January 2009 everyone entering the US under the visa waiver scheme needs to apply under ESTA. So far there has been no fee for applying under ESTA.

US H-1B visas are one of the most useful temporary US visa categories for entry of professional level specialty workers to the US. In the past many Indian IT specialists have gained entry to the US on the H-1B visa. When the US economy is doing well there is usually a shortage of US H-1B Visas.

US H-1B visas are still available to start work in the US from 1 October 2010. There are 65,000 H-1B visas available each year with an additional 20,000 available for those with an US master's degree or higher.