The United States has announced measures to facilitate H-1B visa application processing for college graduates who have secured job offers. This is a move aimed at attracting more foreign students to the country creating an opportunity for international students seeking to build a career path in the United States.
The U.S. Department of State on July 15, 2024, released a memo guidance to consular officers recommending waivers for specific applicants which are efforts made to curtail delays and facilitate the insurance of work visas making it easily accessible for international graduates to obtain and join the U.S. labor force.
The CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE), Alan Goodman, pointed out the most paramount changes. In quotes:
“The US needs to hire more international graduates. Our society is aging, our birthrate is falling, and our citizens are choosing not to pursue degrees in the STEM, healthcare, and services fields,” Goodman stated.
How H1B Visa program work
The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant work visa that gives the applicant access to work in the United States for three years through employer sponsorship and it has the possibility of being extended for up to three additional years.
Only this year, visa applications received by the U.S. were about 781,000 at first for an H-1B visa, but the consular only selected about 24% of the entire applications filled.
The effect of this new policy
Goodman said; “This new policy could be an important step for the U.S. to attract skilled graduates by streamlining visa processes and providing clear guidelines for waivers to retain top talent and bolster our workforce,” He added in an interview with The PIE News.
Nonetheless, he also channels attention to some potential issues: “While the most recent changes will fast-track graduates with job offers to obtain the visa, the major problem is that it’s not being issued in large enough numbers.”
In summary
As a result of this process of facilitating visa processes shows the U.S. commitment to tackling labor force problems by attracting more skilled foreign workers who are equally trained in the U.S. for the duration of their studies. Addressing and streamlining visa application processes allows for clarity and adherence to the provided guidelines for waivers and allows the U.S. to bolster its labor force at the same time maintain a competitive edge in various critical fields.
