The Hindu Business Line : Advance degree H-1B visas for 2006 exhausted

IT professionals planning to apply for H-1B visa in coming months are likely to be in for disappointment. The advance degree H-1B visas have reached the stipulated 20,000 cap for the fiscal year 2006.

According to the update from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service on Thursday, the quota of 20,000 visas, available under this category, has been exhausted as on January 17, 2006.

Under current law, while the annual cap on the H-1B category is 65,000 (down from 195,000 in financial year 2003), Congress has created an exemption for 20,000 foreign nationals earning advanced degrees from US universities.

Given the high demand for skilled temporary workers in the US, the 65,000 H-1B visas cap was reached even before the start of the Federal Government's fiscal year 2006 (which began on October 1, 2005). This had prompted organisations such as the IT Association of America (ITAA) to demand a significant increase in the number of visas for the current year and future years.

"Although the cap for advance degree H-1B visa has been reached, it will not adversely affect the operations of IT companies in India, as the sector is constantly looking at ways to increase the offshore component of every service line. Therefore it automatically eases pressure from physically sending a person onsite to US," the Nasscom Vice- President, Mr Sunil Mehta, said.

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