High-Stakes Lottery for H-1B Visas May Become Simpler Next Year

Companies competing for a limited number of H-1B skilled guestworker visas could find the process simpler come 2019, the director of the program said.

Further changes also may roll back provisions allowing the spouses of H-1B visa holders to obtain work permits.

The H-1B visas are extremely popular in the tech industry, especially among information technology staffing companies such as Cognizant Technology Solutions, Tata Consultancy Services, and Infosys. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple also hire a lot of workers on H-1Bs.

Employers may be able to preregister electronically for the annual lottery, and then file complete petitions if they’re selected. ...