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H1B visa

How to Circumvent the H1B Petition Lottery

Credential Evaluation, Immigration, Visa Approvals


st of every year the USCIS begins accepting H1B visa petitions. Although they must stay open and continue accepting H1B petitions for at least five days, after the cap of 65,000 visas is exceeded the rest of the petitions are selected by lottery. That means if you don’t get your petition in as soon as you possibly can, the chance that your petition will even see the desk of a USCIS agent dwindles.

How can you avoid the lottery?

One way to circumvent the H1B lottery is to obtain an H1B job that is not subject to the annual cap. Government and non-profit research centers, non-profit sector occupations, and jobs working for colleges, universities, and other institutes of higher education are not subject to the cap.

Another way is to get your visa in as soon as the USCIS begins accepting petitions on February 1st. Every year more and more petitions are being filed due to the exploding information technology industry. Make sure you are ready to file on February 1st with all of the proper documents in their proper order.

One of these documents is an evaluation of your foreign education. If you got your degree outside of the United States it is your responsibility to clearly show what its academic value means in terms of US educational standards. The only way to do this is to get your degree evaluated by a credential evaluation agency with the authority to convert classroom contact hours into US college credit hours. This will bridge any gaps between the academic content of US degree programs and corresponding programs from other countries.

Have everything ready to submit on time to avoid the H1B lottery and boost your chances of having your petition approved. Once you have your H1B visa, renewals, extensions, and transfers are exempt from the cap. You will also have your labor rights protected and your family will be able to join you for your stay in the United States.]]>

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Foreign High School Graduates – How To Gain Admission to US Colleges

Press

Foreign high school graduates can qualify for U.S. college and university admissions when they understand the fundamentals of foreign credential evaluations (EMAILWIRE.COM, October 05, 2009). Many applicants seeking evaluation of academic credentials for bachelor’s or master’s degree purposes are unaware of the significant distinction between Ordinary Level and Advanced Level secondary examinations.

In several education systems, Advanced Level exams represent more than secondary education. In countries such as Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ghana, Sri Lanka, and France, Ordinary Level exams are generally considered equivalent to U.S. high school graduation, while Advanced Level exams are comparable to an additional year of undergraduate study. Because of this structure, students from these systems can often demonstrate that their three-year bachelor’s degrees are equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree, both for further education and for H1B visa considerations.

In contrast, some countries, including parts of West Africa such as Cameroon, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, combine Ordinary and Advanced Level exams within the secondary education framework. In many of these cases, completion of Advanced Level exams is still regarded as high school completion rather than undergraduate-level study. This distinction is frequently misunderstood. Many applicants assume that a credential evaluation service will automatically account for these differences, even without supporting documentation.

According to Sheila Danzig, Executive Director of Career Consulting International, this assumption is incorrect. Applicants do not receive academic credit for Advanced Level education unless official examination results are submitted as part of the credential evaluation process. For students educated outside the United States who are preparing to obtain an academic evaluation, it is essential to submit a high school diploma along with documented results for both Ordinary and Advanced Level exams. Providing complete records helps ensure the most accurate assessment of education equivalency and allows applicants to receive the highest possible recognition for their academic credentials.

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The Truth About the H1b Visa

Press

There are many misconceptions about the H1b Visa. People tend to confuse these legitimate workers with the undocumented workers (often referred to as illegals). They are very different.

(EMAILWIRE.COM, June 17, 2009 )
It is a requirement for the US Citizen and Immigration Service that every foreign national to obtain a visa to legally work in the US borders. The H1B Visa is the most sought after official visa by people from all over the world wishing to temporarily relocate to live and work in the US – both professionals and students. This visa usually has a 6-year validity period and allows people to be employed by different employers.

This ‘dream come true visa’ as seen by many seeking after it, was introduced by the United States Government to help the International Students as well as International Professionals, from all niches in the globe, secure an opportunity to live and at the same time work within the US borders.

The greatest advantage of bearing this visa is that it bears dual intent meaning that you can still have it, apply and wait for a Green Card for permanent residency.

To secure this visa, you have to find a H1B Sponsorship Job. After evaluation of foreign educational credentials by a foreign credential evaluation firm such as  TheDegreePeople.com, your prospective employer files your H1B visa application with the Immigration Bureau. This means that individuals cannot apply for this visa, it remains at the discretion of the Sponsoring Company or Employer. In other words you must have a sponsor and only the sponsor applies.

To qualify for this visa, you have to have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree equivalency (from your country) or 12 years professional experience in your field. Another alternative is a hybrid of the two which entail a mix of higher education such as diploma equivalency mixing education and work experience. For example if you can combine two years of university level education with 6 years professional experience in the field to show an equivalency to a US bachelor’s degree. This can only be done by a credential evaluation agency with a professor with the proper credentials. Sheila Danzig, Executive Director of Career Consulting International a foreign credential evaluation agency stated, “It is very important to know that your education or education and work experience combination match the job offer. We often see people whose education does not match the job description and that simply won’t be approved by the Immigration Service.”

The ‘specialty occupations’ that make people qualify for the visa include: Accounting, Advertising, Banking, Business, Computing, Engineering (all types), Finance, HealthCare/Medical, IT, Lawyers, Legal, Management and Hospitality, Marketing, Networking, PR, Recruiting, Teaching and Telecoms among others.

Various reasons encourage Sponsoring companies or Employers to hire foreign national and seek H1B visas for them. These reasons include:
• These workers help in boosting the US economy in diverse ways while bettering their future.
• Help fill gaping holes in employment where there are shortages of highly skilled professionals in the field. Even now, during a recession, certain jobs need workers who of higher skill than are in our workforce.
• They possess global competitive advantage by bringing cultural diversity into the workplaces.
• They have strong work ethics as well as a great enthusiasm to work.

For students who qualify for these visas, transcript evaluation has to be performed so as to ensure that they are qualified students seeking further education (Diplomas, Bachelors or Masters) as they seek a livelihood while working at the same time.]]>

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