US Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, announced that they will suspend “the H-1B visa issuance premium procedure” as of April 3. The measure, which could extend up to six months, has been implemented to reduce the waiting time in the program that helps highly qualified foreigners work in US companies.

The H1-B visa program is the main option offered by the United States to highly qualified foreigners who want to work in sectors such as technology, engineering, journalism, medicine and education. Applicants compete each year for the 85,000 visas offered by the program and are granted by drawing lots.

USCIS explained that suspending the premium procedure will reduce delays with pending requests and therefore decrease the time to process total requests. In January, the possibility of reforms in several types of visas had already been announced, and this permit is one of those affected.

This information is not in any way legal advice, serving only as an informative purpose. If you need professional services in the area of Global immigration and Mobility, please contact our firm.

 *It should be noted that the rules of any of the countries listed and the procedures suggested might change at any time without notice.