2015 Old Blog

To lend H-1B sponsors a helping hand this cap season, we’ve enlisted the assistance of VISANOW-retained attorney Karen Gillespie. Each month in our attorney Q&A series, she’ll answer questions to help you prepare a strong work visa petition.

Due to the uncertainty of H-1B cap season, U.S. employers can’t control whether or not their foreign nationals’ petitions are selected in the lottery. However, there is one controllable factor that can negatively affect companies this cap season — how early the visa application is prepared.

The immigration process can be stressful for new and seasoned HR professionals alike, due to strict regulations, tedious application requirements and more. However, it’s possible to bring efficiency to the process with a few simple adjustments.

While the H-1B lottery season is over, if you sponsored an H-1B petition for a student with an F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) status, there are a few things you should know about the “Cap-Gap.”

Sponsoring a foreign national for an employment-based green card is a great way to retain skilled talent. However, for most green card categories (including EB-2 and EB-3), employers are required to complete a rigorous PERM labor certification process. This important step, which must be completed before starting the green card process, helps the U.S. government make sure no U.S. citizens are available to fill the role.