US brings relief to H-1B visa holders and Green Card applicants

Washington DC, May 2: Bringing major sigh of relief to students and professionals who are currently in the US, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has given a grace period of 60 days to H-1B visa holders and Green Card applicants, who have been served notices for submission of various documents amid this coronavirus outbreak in the US.

The USCIS government on Friday has said the 60-day grace period for responding to its requests will include requests for evidence; continuations to request evidence (N-14); notices of intent to deny; notices of intent to revoke; notices of intent to rescind and notices of intent to terminate regional investment centers; and filing date requirements for Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion.

 

According to the source, USCIS will consider a Form I-290B received up to 60 calendar days from the date of the decision before it takes any action. They can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B work visas every year to highly skilled foreign workers. It can issue an additional 20,000 H-1B visas to those highly skilled foreign workers who have obtained masters or higher degrees from an American educational institution.

 

"USCIS is adopting several measures to protect our workforce and community and to minimize the immigration consequences for those seeking immigration benefits during this time," it said.

 

 

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.

 

The relaxations came in the view of the coronavirus pandemic, which first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last.