Are you confused as to what the latest news regarding this “ Bill introduced in the US regarding H1B work visa” is? Keep reading further to understand what all the discussion is really about.
The new bill, titled “Protect and Grow American Jobs Act,” has been re-introduced in Congress by certain republicans (this bill was already introduced in earlier years, but was never passed). It proposes key changes in the H1-B program that allows skilled workers from foreign countries to fill high-tech jobs in the US.
The bill has proposed two changes – the gist of which is as follows:
– Making it harder to get H1B for low paying jobs
– Removing Masters quota for H1B
Looking deeper into these proposed changes it looks like these will actually likely help Indian students in the USA!
American economy is currently booming and unemployment rate is at its lowest in two decades, which implies increase in job creation.
H1B visa (work visa) is designed to be used for foreign workers with highly specialized skills. Total of 85000 visas are issued every year, which comprise of 65,000 for general quota and 20,000 for US Advanced degree quota for Master’s students. Last year a whopping 233,000 applications were submitted for the limited quota of 85000.
First, a lottery was conducted for the US Master’s degree quota applications to select 20,000 petitions and then the petitions that were not selected in this this first round were added to general quota pool and lottery was conducted on this pool to select the overall 65,000 petitions for general quota. This is pretty standard over the years.
Currently the Indian IT outsourcing companies use up to 70% to 80% of the general 65000 H1B quota. This causes an acute shortage for H1B visas, creating a shortage for Master’s students from India in the USA who are added up to the general quota for H1B lottery.
For details on top H1V visa sponsor companies in 2017 kindly visit the following report from Myvisajobs.com(http://www.myvisajobs.com/Reports/2017-H1B-Visa-Sponsor.aspx). The report shows that of the top 10 companies sponsoring H1B visas, 89% visa applications are from IT companies with average salary under $100,000 per year, and only 11% are from US companies all of which have an average salary above $100,000.
Most of the American companies that employ highly educated students who have completed their Masters studies in the USA- offer a high starting salary. Also Indian students graduating in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) category have a period of up to 3 years on OPT where they can work on student visa before getting their get their H1B work visa. So even if the starting salary is not as high as $100,000 per year, 70% of Indian students (especially those working in computer science related fields) reach that mark within first 3 years depending on their skills and field of work.
Today many talented students with MS decrees are missing out on H1B visas because they are being denied the H1B visas in the lottery system.
Also eliminating Master’s degree quota of 20000 visas for H1B should not affect the Indian students with MS degrees, as the absence of H1B petitions from the IT companies would make room for highly paid foreign employees with advanced education and skills.
All in all, it seems like Indian students studying in American Universities will benefit from proposed bill.
Again, note that this is just a bill not the final rule – and likely will at least take a minimum of 12-18 months before it gets enacted (if it passes this time).
US has relaxed the tests used to grant a National Interest Waiver (NIW) to EB-2 category of green card applicants
The EB2 Green card category
Green card also refers to an immigration process of becoming a permanent resident in the USA. The EB-2 Green Card is a category offered to talented immigrants with advanced degrees or especially rare skills. Most of the Indian students who have completed their Masters education in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)category fall under EB2 green card category
EB2 Green Card Processing
Commonly, a permanent job offer and an approved labor certificate are pre-requisites to file for a green card.
Filing the labor certificate is the first step in green card processing. It is a rigorous process where your employer has to be ready to sponsor your green card by offering you a permanent job and has to undergo a series of steps to prove that no US workers are available to fill the position you are employed in, and hence you deserve green card. This process can take from six months to 3 years in some cases.
An NIW allows individuals in the EB-2 category to skip the cumbersome ‘labor certification’ process.
National Interest Waiver (NIW) Petition
On December 27 2016, the US authorities have eased the tests to get National Interest Waiver (NIW). So, even if a person has no employer, he/she may file an NIW petition on behalf of himself/herself in order to initiate a green card filing process under the EB2 category.
In order to be eligible to file an NIW petition, an applicant must have an “advanced degree” or “exceptional ability” in the sciences, arts or business and should demonstrate that he/she seeks employment in an area of substantial merit to the U.S
NIW applications have clear advantages over other regular EB2 green card petitions. Since there is no labor certification or permanent job offer requirement, an NIW is an attractive choice for scholars, researchers, post-doctoral research fellows, PhD students, and other advanced degree professionals.
Apart from offering speedier process in the path towards a green card, NIW holders can also avail of an unlimited H-1B extension, and their spouses too can apply for work authorization.
Indian students with advanced degrees will now have a fairer chance of obtaining an NIW, which in turn will speed up the process of obtaining a green card.
Donald Trump has been elected as the new US President. This blog intends to cover what it means for Indian students intending to pursue MS in US.
It is important to note that skilled immigrants with advanced degrees have started more than half (44 of 87) of America’s startup companies valued at $1 billion or more and are key members of management or product development teams in over 70 percent (62 of 87) of these companies- according to a 2016 National Foundation for American Policy study. Most of these entrepreneurs and key personnel at some point obtained H-1B status, often after studying at a U.S. university.
Thus, skilled immigrants have been a powerhouse of talent, proficiencies and entrepreneurship.
A. Republicans support lawful and skilled Immigration
-Republicans largely oppose illegal and unlawful immigration but they have been in favor of skilled immigration for decades. Today in US, there are over 11 million illegal residents (Largely from Mexico and other Latino countries). Compared that to just 85,000 H1B’s (work permit visas) are awarded every year for skilled foreign workers.
– Now the Republican Party controls both – the US senate and house along with the presidency – which could open up a passage for the skilled immigration bills to pass.This opens up the gridlock of the last 10+ years. Allowing more visas for students with STEM degrees.
– Today getting H1B visas (work visa) after finishing advanced degrees is hard, and permanent residency even harder. With above changes, it should get easier for Indians with advanced degrees to get more student visas and work visas, as 99% of the Indians fall under “skilled immigration (STEM)” category
B. Economy will create more Jobs – Creating higher demand for skilled workforce that America does not have today
– Trump is proposing lowering of taxes. He is also suggesting more manufacturing to happen in the US and is against outsourcing of American jobs. This implies that the US economy will have to create more skilled jobs within America itself. But today America faces a severe dearth of a skilled workforce with advanced STEM degrees. Indian students in US will be in high demand to fulfill those new jobs that will be created in US. Also fewer jobs will be outsourced – which creates increased demand for jobs within the USA, in turn benefiting Indian students in America
C. Trump thinks India as an allied nation
– This will open doors for the stronger relationship with India, as India is a natural ally in this new order. This will open up lot of opportunities for Indians
When we think of Germany, the first things that pop up in our mind are cars like BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, German Bakery (although there is no connection!!) and the avid readers think of the “Diary of Anne Frank”. Ever wondered how nice it would be to read the work in original language that it was written in? Or for that matter to know how Mein Kampf sounds in the words of Hitler himself? Here are 10 compelling reasons for you to learn German
1) German as an Official Language
German is one of the official languages of the European Union and is widely understood and used in the European continent. It is the only official language of Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. It is one of the official languages of Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium. It is also recognized as a minor language in many countries.
2) Widely taught foreign language
German is one of the most taught foreign languages. In India many educational institutions offer German as an additional language in their curriculum.For students aspiring to pursue higher studies abroad it can be an added advantage to know the language in advance.
3) World class higher education in Germany
Higher education in Germany is highly recognized internationally. Most of the Universities have no tuition fees for higher education, which makes it all the more attractive to pursue education in Germany
4) Job opportunities in Germany
After completing post graduate degree in Germany, there are many job opportunities not only in the fields of Automobile or Mechanical Engineering but also in the Computer Science, Chemical and Electrical Engineering fields.
Also, many German companies are well renowned in the global market. Pune is a popular hub for many well-known German company setups. Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz to name a few.
5) Job opportunities in India
Many German companies have their manufacturing setups in India. Knowing the German language can help leverage one’s chances of getting hired as the job profile may involve interaction with the onsite teams based in Germany or looking into some documentation written in German.
6) Opportunities in hospitality industry
Being a widely spoken and understood language it is a plus to know this language to reach the German speaking tourists if you are in the hospitality industry or if your job involves interaction with business delegation
7) Translation jobs
Translation is another blooming field owing to increased cultural exchange and globalization. Translation of technical books, brochures, literary works of eminent authors like Goethe, Schiller are required in many
German Language can be a powerful ad on to your skills kitty and help you take your career or your knowledge up by a notch.
A lot of students want to know what a particular field of study covers and what fits best according to their interest. Here are a few fields of study and their scope to help you choose the right field for you!!
Electrical Engineering:
Electrical engineers study and apply the physics and mathematics of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism to both large and small-scale systems to process information and transmit energy. To do this, electrical engineers design computers, electronic devices, communication systems, test equipment, and improve systems through problem solving techniques.
The field covers a wide range of sub-disciplines including:
- Electromagnetics and wave propagation
- Power electronics
- Control systems
- Electro-optics
- Digital signal processing and communications
- Telecommunications
- Nanotechnology
- Mechatronics
- Electromagnetics and wave propagation,
- Optoelectronics,
- Nanostructures and devices,
- Computer engineering. (Is considered separate discipline in its own right)
Computer Engineering:
Computer engineers work for companies that build or use computer-based systems, such as telecommunications, automotive, aerospace, etc. Many computer engineers also get jobs as programmers. While they have less programming experience than computer science graduates, their understanding of hardware gives them an advantage in dealing with overall systems. Computer engineers have the option of moving into hardware or software positions, or blending the two.
While sharing much history and many areas of interest with computer science, computer engineering concentrates its effort on the ways in which computing ideas are mapped into working physical systems. Emerging equally from the disciplines of computer science and electrical engineering, computer engineering rests on the intellectual foundations of these disciplines, the basic physical sciences and mathematics.
The field covers sub-disciplines as follows:
- Embedded Systems
- Networking
- Design automation
- Machine intelligence
- Compilers
- Computer Security
- Coding, cryptography, and information protection
- Communications and wireless networks
- Robotics
- Integrated circuits, VLSI design, testing and CAD
- Signal, image and speech processing
Computer Science:
Computer Science is the study of principles, applications, and technologies of computing and computers. It involves the study of data and data structures and the algorithms to process these structures; of principles of computer architecture-both hardware and software; of problem-solving and design methodologies; of computer-related topics such as numerical analysis, operations research, and artificial intelligence; and of language design, structure, and translation technique. Computer Science provides a foundation of knowledge for students with career objectives in a wide range of computing and computer-related professions.
Computer science covers the following areas:
- Software Development
- Database Administration
- Computer Hardware Engineering
- Computer Systems Analysis
- Computer Network Architecture
- Web Development
- Information Security Analysis
- Computer Programming
Software Engineering
Software engineers design and develop many types of software, including computer games, business applications, operating systems, network control systems, and middleware. They must be experts in the theory of computing systems, the structure of software, and the nature and limitations of hardware to ensure that the underlying systems will work properly. They apply the theories and principles of computer science and mathematical analysis to create, test, and evaluate the software applications and systems that make computers work.
Software engineering covers the following areas:
- Requirements engineering
- Software Design
- Software Construction
- Software Testing
- Software Maintenance
- Software Configuration Management
- Software Engineering Management
- Software Quality Management
Management Information Systems (MIS)
MIS is short for Management Information Systems and focuses on solving business problems and creating new opportunities with technology. MIS is also often shortened to Information Systems (IS). MIS is a blend of business, analytics and technology. MIS professionals are business-oriented, technically proficient individuals. An MIS professional will typically not write large and complex computer programs but should know how the code works.
MIS jobs covers the following areas:
- Business Analysis
- Systems Analysis
- Project Management
- Information Technology Management
- Data Analysis
- Business Intelligence Analysis
- Product Management
- Solutions Developer
- Database Administrator
Hope this helps!