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United States
USA
ABOUT USA:
Throughout our history, going back more than two centuries, the United States populace has been an ever-evolving phenomenon. New immigrants have flocked to this nation from scores of countries. Pioneers have blazed trails across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and over land, to various parts of the United States. Subsequently, their families and descendants have followed those paths to new homes, new occupations and new self-worth as U.S. citizens. And as one generation passes from the scene and a new one springs forth, the population invariably is affected. Even in our day, we have seen the "baby boomer" generation, born just after World War II, drive U.S. society for much of the second half of this century. Now, thanks to longer life expectancy and their own dynamism, seniors are assuming an impressive role in the United States as the century ends and a new one begins. This Journal presents fundamental demographic details about the changing U.S. population at this moment in history, the U.S. census, new immigration trends and the growing impact of seniors.
Capital City: Washington
Main Cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco
Population: 260,513,000
Area: 9,372,610 km2
Currency: United States dollar
Languages: English, Spanish, and over 30 others
Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Judaism
Largest city: New York City
Government: Federal republic
GDP: $13.049 trillion
H1B VISA INFORMATION & SERVICE CENTER
The H1B Visa Program is the official and primary USA work visa / work permit.
The US Government introduced the H1B visa to offer and enable highly skilled International Professionals and/or International Students, from all over the World, the opportunity to live and work in the USA.
The H1B is the most sought after US work visa and US Immigration requires 'every' foreign national to obtain a visa in order to legally work in America.
What is an H1B visa?
The H1B visa program is the primary method for bringing in professional level foreign employees to the USA. The H1B visa enables US employers to hire foreign professionals for a specified period of time. The H1B program allows workers in specialty occupations to work in the US for up to a total of six (6) years. One of the things that makes this visa so desirable is that, unlike many other nonimmigrant visa categories, it is a "dual intent" visa. This means that a visa will not be denied simply because a person has intentions to become a permanent resident. The assumption is that if for some reason the permanent residency petition is denied, the person would still have the intention to return home.
Aside from documenting that the position offered is in a specialty occupation and that the employee has the appropriate credentials for the job, the employer needs to verify that the H1B visa worker is being paid the prevailing wage for the work being performed and that employment of a foreign worker is not harming conditions for US workers.
H1B Visa qualifying occupation categories are jobs in the fields of computer science, health care, university teaching, and engineering. The detail occupation list is as follows:
· IT/Computer Professionals
· University Professors and Teachers
· Engineers
· Healthcare Workers
· Accountants
· Financial Analysts
· Management Consultants
· Lawyers
· Architects
· Nurses
· Physician
· Surgeons
· Dentists
· Scientist
· Systems Analysts
· Journalists and editors
· Foreign Law Advisors
· Psychologist
· Technical Publication Writers
· Market Research Analysts
· Teachers In Elementary Or Secondary Schools, Colleges.
The length of time that a worker can have an H1B visa is usually an initial period of up to three years. The initial H1B visa can then be extended one time for up to a combined total of six years.
Other regulatory provisions permit;
(1) the employer to request a period of less than three years,
(2) the employee to be employed on a part-time basis
(3) the employee to work for more than one US Employer simultaneously.
e.g, law, accounting, financial analysis, management consulting, architecture and scientific research positions.
The worker's family may also be permitted to live in the US during the period that the H1B visa is in effect, but can not be a paid employee while on an H4 visa.
During the term of the H1B visa the employee can also apply for permanent residency. This is called "Dual Intent", and is a privilege some other U.S. visas do not enjoy.
The Number of H1B visas issued - the H1B Cap
The number of H1B visas issued each year is subject to a cap that is determined by US Congress. The cap for fiscal year 2006 is currently set at 65,000.
The H1B applications that are approved for each fiscal year receive an employment start date of October 1 (the first day of the fiscal year).
I-94 card
As an immigrant, when you arrive in the U.S., an arrival/departure record card is issued and placed in your passport next to your visa. This is called an I-94 card that permits a foreigner to be in the U.S. (as opposed to visa that provides the right to travel in and out of the U.S. in a certain status, eg. H1B visa status). The U.S. immigration official at the U.S. port of entry will review the foreigner’s immigration documents (eg. H1B visa) and stamp the I-94 card with an expiry date consistent with the visa expiry. It should be noted that the immigration official has the power to limit a foreigner’s stay irrespective of the visa expiration. The I-94 card is removed when a foreigner departs the U.S.
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