Consider the Investment

Is taking four years out of your life worth it? A decent bachelors degree program can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The cost alone is a significant investment. How about the time required? During my program, I recall many late nights of studying. It was challenging trying to balance a full time job, full time school, family, and other responsibilities. The investment to me was worth it because it helped me land a decent job right out of school.

Type of Degree

We all know people who have changed their minds over and over about what to study. Business and technology related degrees tend to focus on application and experience in the industry. On the other hand, some programs don’t offer the practical hands-on experience that helps prepare for a career. Do you want to study in order to make good money in the future, or do you want to study because you’re interested in the subject? Finding a balance between the two is bound to bring about the most satisfaction.

Where to Study

If you search online for a bachelors degree program, you’ll find so many different options. There are online degrees, there are on-campus degrees, part-time degrees, full-time degrees and the list goes on! Location is an important thing to consider since it could make or break the quality of the program. To understand the quality of a program based on geographical location, it’s not a bad idea to look at reviews that compare programs. For example, how does an Oklahoma Bachelors degree compare to an Oregon Bachelors degree or an Indiana Bachelors degree?

There are many other things to consider when choosing a bachelors program. When I chose my program, I looked for something that I knew I would enjoy studying and at the same time looked for what was hot in the market. The degree has proven to be a valuable asset in my career!

For example accountants, architects, teachers (primary and secondary, excluding nursery school teachers), university professors, certain types of nurses, attorneys, physicians, designers, and engineers will all qualify as H-1B workers. The only way to make a determination whether a particular worker will qualify is through advice from an experienced immigration attorney.

The H-1B visa remains one of most versatile nonimmigrant employment visas utilized by U.S. businesses to hire foreign workers.  Here is a list of issues to keep in mind when filing an H-1B petition.

An employer may request initial employment a maximum of 3 years.  The H-1B can be extended.  Generally, the maximum amount of time that an individual can hold H-1B visa status is 6 years. However, exceptions do exist that allow an H-1B extension beyond the initial 6 years. An employer may petition for a foreign worker for either full-time or part-time employment.

Prevailing Wage

The prevailing wage element requires employers to demonstrate that the wage offered will not discriminate against US workers by offering wages that are lower than the actual wage paid similar workers. Generally prevailing wage requirement is met by offering wages as determined submitting a Prevailing Wage Request to the State Workforce or demonstrating that a union contract is in force. The H-1B laws require employers to pay the higher of the actual wage or the prevailing wage.

The Labor Condition Application (LCA)

The LCA is an application by the employer to the Department of Labor attesting to certain conditions of the position offered.  These conditions are:

·         That the higher of actual or prevailing wage will be paid;

·         That the employee is eligible for the same benefits as other similarly employed US workers;

·         That the employee is not being employed because US workers are out on strike or lockout;

·         That the employment of the foreign worker will not adversely affect the working conditions of other workers; and

·         That proper notification was given to U.S. employees or the union representative if the position is union position university’s intent to hire an H-1B non-immigrant.

The LCA must be made available for Department of Labor (DOL) and for public inspection.  The LCA may be obtained online at www.lca.doleta.gov.

Spouse or Children of an H-1B

Spouses and children of an H-1B are eligible for H-4 visas. An H-4 is either a spouse or unmarried children under 21 years old.  H-4 holders cannot work in the U.S. but are eligible to attend school either part time or full-time.  To prove the relationship to the H-1B an H-4 candidate will need to present a marriage certificate if a spouse and a birth certificate if a child. 

Ok, when do I file?

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will accept H-1B petitions for fiscal year 2010 on April 1, 2009 for jobs starting on October 1, 2009.  It is important to file April 1, 2009 since H-1B visas are capped at 65,000 per year and the last two years the cap was met within one week.  As such, early document preparation is essential to making timely filed H-1B petitions.

I’m Ready to File … Where?

A petition is filed with either California Service Center or Vermont Service Center depending on where the temporary employment will be The California Service Center is appropriate for employment in the following states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, or Wyoming.

A petition is filed with the Vermont Service Center if the temporary work will be performed in: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, or West Virginia.

When the temporary employment will be in different states, the state where your company is located will determine the Service Center for submission of the petition.  For example, if the beneficiary will work in Arizona and Texas, and your company is located in California, file your H-1B petition with the California Service Center.

Sounds Great … How Much is this Going to Set me Back?

As of the time this article is published, an employer must pay for the H-1B Form I-129 filing fee ($320), H-1B Training Fee of either $750 or $1500 depending on the size of your company, and a Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee ($500). All employers must pay these fees unless an employer qualifies for exemption from the H-1B Training Fee.

If a company currently employs 1-25 full-time equivalent employees, the H-1B Training Fee is $750.  Companies who employ more than 25 full-time equivalent employees will need to pay $1500.  The employer must pay the H-1B Training Fee upon the initial hire and the first H-1B extension of the same employee.  The H-1B Training Fee is not required for second or subsequent petitions for H-1B extension.  The Fraud Prevention and Detection fee needs to be paid when the employer initially hires the employee even if he or she is currently working as an H-1B with another employer. 

A simple way to remember this is that every employer needs to pay for the H-1B Training Fee twice for each H-1B employee and the H-1B Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee needs to be paid once for each H-1B employee. Fees are subject to change so it is important to make sure of the proper fees before filing.

Filing Procedure

Documents are filed with the USCIS service center having jurisdiction over the petitioner (see filing locations above).  The petitioner must send Form I-129, I-129 supplement forms, an approved Labor Condition Application, support document about the petitioner’s business, and documents showing the qualifications of the candidate.  If there are dependent/s then the form I-539 need to be filed along with proof of relationship to the H-1B, i.e. marriage certificate or birth certificate or both.  Only one I-539 is required to be filed as children are listed on the application.  The Form I-539 filing fee is $300. 

Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com

Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com

Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com

Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com