Skilled Visa Process Could Look a Lot Different Next Year

Employers competing for the limited number of H-1B skilled guestworker visas each year should look for a whole new process come 2019.

The 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 “H-1B lottery” and then file complete petitions if they’re selected for adjudication. Employers currently have to assemble an entire petition just to get into the running.

A proposed rule hasn’t ...