Currently, the H-1B visa is almost no longer attainable given the $100,000 visa sponsorship. With Trump slapping a $100,000 fee on the visa category, business and potential migrants are in palpable tension over their chances of attracting new workers, or for potential workers then, the situation brings concerns over chances of migrating and working in the US.
The new hike not just worries potential migrants but also corporations and the US society. While the future of employment sponsorship remains unpredictable, it is important to understand ways to navigate these challenges. Earlier, the H-1B visa dominated the entry of professional workers into the US; however, with the current administration’s apparent fixation on it, applicants must now explore other options.
The H-1B nevertheless remains the most prominent visa category for professionals; however, theadministration’s drive to limit professional entry into the US may jeopardize the success rate in the category. The huge fine is also not encouraging, especially in the face of other means of clampdown on foreign workers.
Why you must improvise in the face of the visa fee hike
It is no longer enough to just have what it takes. Applications have to be crafty enough to reshape reality. Employment is about earning a living. It is unlikely that a money bag with $100,000 to spare will be desperate for a H-1B job. This post is an improvisation tool that ensures that those in most need of migrating to the US don’t miss the opportunity due to the inability to raise the new fee.
What to Do to still migrate to the US despite the H-1B visa challenges
It is all a race against time currently because you never can tell what other visa category will be next. The following steps may help ease your migration:
● Explore other visa categories: Several other options can take you to the US. These other options may not offer the same privileges as the H-1B, but still, they are a viable alternative. Before we explore these other options, let’s first understand the H-1B and what it does.
What is the H-1B visa?
It is a visa class for a standard and refined labor force. Employees in the category are usually of high educational standards and mostly possess sufficient experience, sound worldview, and completed university education. Apart from a university degree, workers with other advanced or equivalent qualifications may qualify for the H-1B visa.
From here, one can see that while potential H-1B visa applicants may possess sound education and other virtues, they may not be profoundly established financially. This means that the new $100,000 fee may hamper the chances of the majority of individuals who may require the visa class.
Exploring Other Visas
There are several other options for potential migrants. Some may have limited privileges, but can still guarantee a migration.
Mostly, alternative relies on either upgrading or downgrading your choices. The H-2B used to be the middle ground; now, it seems to have become the preserve of the upper class. Nevertheless, perhaps you decide to either upgrade or downgrade your choices. Below are Common options:
● Low-end visas: Low-end visas, as used here, refer to those that currently have lesser financial and qualification demands. With the new administration, nothing is certain, but in the meantime, these visas are affordable options for those for whom the H-1B and other high-end visas are out of reach:
1. The H-2A: This visa class is pocket-friendly, currently easier to access and requires unsophisticated qualifications. It is primarily for agricultural workers. It is an effective means of entering the US at this point. For individuals with advanced education, this option may not be very attractive given the salary.
2. H-2B: Another low-end visa is the H-2B. Both in qualification and monetary demand, this visa class offers more relief. The visa, however, is aimed at the non-advanced job sector requiring less formal education. Menial jobs usually dominate the focus of the visa class.
● Explore Transfer Visas: Rather than go directly for instant employment in the US, you can capitalize on your home country’s branch of US firms. Mind you, employees are not the only ones worried about the new visa policies. Employers are also worried. So there’s a likelihood that in the coming days, US firms will establish branches in countries where they expect their workforce from. This will enable their workers to use a transfer visa rather than a direct employment visa.
The transfer of existing workers in other countries is where the L-1 and L-2 visas apply. Potential employees are therefore encouraged to seek employment in the local operations of their target US corporation and then get transferred later.
● Exploring High-End Visas
As it stands now, even with the steep fee, there’s no visible modification in the privileges of the H-1B visa. In the current reality, it has overtaken several other high-end visas in cost; as such, you may want to explore a high-end alternative that may even offer more, like paving the way for permanent residency. Examples of such high-end alternatives are:
1. E-B1 visa: It is unknown what may come next, but while this visa category used to be a costly option, especially regarding its qualification demands, with the high cost of the H-1B, it could also become a viable alternative. To use this visa, applicants must be established scholars of national repute, especially in their home country. Such a reputation could be in areas of enterprise, academics or others.
2. E-B2: Another high-end alternative to the H-1B is the E-B2. Advanced education or skills in critical fields, with sufficient experience, are necessary to qualify for the visa class.
● Alternative for NAFTA countries: The TN visa has not so far been included in the steeped fee coverage. It continues to be an alternative to the H-1B; however, its availability is limited to citizens of Mexico and Canada.
● Special Case alternatives: The O-1 and R-1 can be special entry means for different classes of migrants. Individuals can leverage other talents to migrate to the US as the H-1B continues to face difficulties. Such talents may include those in music, acting, or even martial arts. To leverage talent, such must be highly developed.
Note: While we have listed these H-1B visa alternatives, policies are not exactly predictable, so these listed visas may also in the future be of Trump’s policy focus. So capitalize on these alternatives while it is still viable.
We recommend appropriate guidance before making your visa choices. Travel experts or US immigration lawyers are your best bet in that regard. You can also gain more knowledge on visa classes and how they apply here.
Improving Success Rate
With a lot of energy channeled towards curbing migrant inflow, care must be taken by both applicants and employers to maximize chances. While going for an alternative to the H-1B seems the most viable means in the near future, applicants must understand that the alternatives may see higher demand now, thereby complicating success chances.
It is also likely that with higher demand, focus may shift towards these alternatives, thereby a likely tightening of the process may result. This means that applicants, irrespective of the visa class, must be intentional in each stage. Applicants must then ensure the following:
● Transparency: Transparency here implies avoiding fraudulent actions while pursuing your migration. No falsification of information or manipulation of processes.
● A clear understanding of what’s attainable in the alternative visa class: Should applicants go for the H-1B visa alternative, such applicants must clearly understand the offers and privileges of the chosen visa and must adhere to the provisions of such visa.
● Follow rules: Sponsorship visas are usually guided by similar rules, but for each unique visa class, specific rules may apply.
● Respect Visa provisions: If you migrate to the US on an agricultural visa as an alternative, do not go and manipulate your way into a H-1B visa occupation. If you desire to switch occupations, discover if your visa enables such a switch.
● Be financially ready: Money seems to be the primary tool for reducing visa applications. The new financial demands of the H-1B visa are only an eye-opener. It is mostly all about the financial value that a migrant may bring to the system before taking from the system. Ensuring that your bank account holds a sufficient balance could significantly improve your chances.
● Expect more responsibilities: Your chosen visa may require more. With an uncertain future for most employment visa classes, responsibilities may go beyond the common demands.
Knowing the common demands is vital, but applicants must anticipate more demands. If you wish to learn more about current sponsorship visa responsibilities, access a detailed publication on general visa sponsorship here.
Salary Expectations
In many cases, migration and occupation decision is tied to earnings. The H-1B jobs usually represent decent and even in several cases, high-end salaries. If high earning is your motivation, you may want to examine the earning range for each visa category:
● Menial job visas: Menial jobs in most cases don’t require sophisticated education or experience. They also may not include some of the highest earning occupations.
Some jobs in the class may turn out to be decent earners, just that most occupations that are available given visas within the range most times are often within the minimum wage range or just a little above.
The H-2A and H-2B are the two popular options within the low-earning range. They have peculiar advantages like less focus on skills and education. Salary ranges from $16.5 to $30.5.
● Decent to high-end earners: Depending on the occupation, H-1B visas usually bring significant earnings. Such earnings can range from moderate to high. Apart from H-1B, it’s equivalent like TN also brings decent to high-end wages. Wages range from $23.7 to $60.9 hourly. Other high end visas like L-2 and E-B1 also record high earnings depending on occupation and workers’ classification in the employing facility.
● Random wage earners: Jobs in this category have no specific earning range. An Individual’s talent or skills, plus agreement with the employer, determine earnings. Talent-inspired visa, like the O-1, is a good example of visa classes where determining the average numeration is tough.
Eligibility
With the new trajectory, eligibility will certainly evolve. There must certainly be a way out. Though this way out may not be clear at this point but over time, employers and employees will figure out how to beat these new policies one way or another.
In the meantime, these new qualities are expected of new sponsorship visa applicants:
● Adaptability: In the coming days, employers and employees will have to improvise. It is most likely that both parties are not going to let the emerging drawbacks defeat the mutual need of the employees and employers.
Given that most Individuals hoping to migrate to the United States are usually more prepared for the H-1B visa reality, the current clampdown means that individuals and firms must be ready to adapt. Being able to adapt easily means that leveraging other visa classes can materialize.
● Versatility: It is most likely that over time, individuals who migrated originally through one visa class may be able to work in occupations that may ordinarily be for another visa class. This could lead to doctors migrating through other classes of visa, which ordinarily may not be the case. Such individuals must be able to prove effectiveness in their primary visa occupation.
● Skills and experience: Other classes of visas are going to be in higher demand for refined skills. This is as the quality skilled worker-focused H-1B visa faces a bleak future. Employers may desire to make up for the loss of H-1B talent by demanding more skills and experience in other employment categories.
● More focus on education: There’s a likelihood of corporations employing foreigners through available visa classes. Skilled workers may smart their way around, thereby using a low-end visa to migrate for a high-end job. This means that despite originally applying for a low-end visa, educational demand may be beyond the norm for such a visa.
Final Note
Intelligence is the primary focus of most sponsorship visas. You’ve got to be beyond what’s available to be considered.
Such intelligence will guide applicants not to allow themselves to be caged; as such, discovering an alternative to the H-1B visa is the ideal way to beat these new policies.
Here we are believing in you, knowing that you will rise above the current situation, and if going for an alternative is the most feasible option for you, we hope this post helps.