H-1B visa summary

• The H-1B visa is a US work visa for professionals from all over the world.

• The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, is the agency that is responsible for all visas, including the H-1B.
  
• For Fiscal Year 2006, the quota for H-1B visa petitions was reached by 11 August 2005.
• For Fiscal Year 2007, the quota for H-1B visa petitions was reached on 26 May 2006.
• For Fiscal Year 2008, the quota for H-1B visa petitions was reached on 02 April 2007.
  
• If the employee you wish to employ holds a Master's Degree or higher from a United States university, he or she is eligible for one of 20,000 H-1B visas set aside for people with that level of education. These are the Advance Degree Exception category, and are in addition to the 65,000 'standard' H-1B's.
• Of the 'standard' H-1B visas available, several thousand are set aside and reserved for nationals of several countries by special treaty with the United States.
  
• The H-1B visa is the 'primary' and most sought after USA work visa (permit), for foreign nationals who want to live and work in the USA, in a specialty occupation.
• An H-1B visa is typically valid for up to six (6) years and entitles your spouse (husband/wife) and children to accompany you and live in America.
• The H-1B visa is a 'dual intent' visa that allows you to apply for a Green Card (Legal Permanent Residency).
• After six (6) years, if no other arrangements are made, the H-1B expires and the person must leave the U.S. for one (1) year before re-entry.
• A person who is granted an H-1B visa may begin working legally under the visa on the first day of the fiscal year, which is the twelve months beginning on 01 October of one year and ending with 30 September of the following year. Once granted a visa, a person may begin working on 01 October or after.
  
• Currently (and for some time), the U.S. government allows applications to be accepted on 01 April of the same year (six months prior to the beginning of the fiscal year).
  
• Employers can start applying for the H-1B visa on 02 April 2007 for Fiscal Year 2008 (SEE: H-1B petitions to be accepted by US on 2 April 2007).
• H-1B Visa 'specialty occupations' are typically considered to be:
  Computing & IT, Telecoms, HealthCare, Finance & Accounting, Teaching, Legal, PR, Marketing & Advertising, Sales, Management and Engineering. The full list is available here.