Top Benefits That Make H1B And H4 Popular US Visa Options

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Top Benefits that Make H1B and H4 Popular U.S. Visa Options

Posted March 8, 2019 in Visa

H1B visa is a temporary work visa that allows foreign nationals to stay and work in the U.S. One of the top highlights of the visa program is that the dependents (spouses and children below 21) of the H1B visa holders too can obtain H4 dependent visa to enter and stay in the U.S. However, the benefits of these two visa programs are many more than you can think of.

H1B Visa Benefits

1. Specialized Skills Draw Handsome Salaries:

   H1B visa is available only for foreign workers with special skills in the fields like accounting, architecture, engineering, science research, medical and healthcare and more. Needless to say, these specialty occupations are highly paid that are an impressive add-on to the opportunity to live in the U.S. and enjoy an excellent standard of living.

2. Extendable Stay:

   An H1B worker can stay for up to 6 years in the U.S. which is indeed a long time period. In addition, there are cases in which the worker can extend H1B visa after 6 years:

• If the H1B worker is the primary beneficiary of the ImmigrantPetition for Alien Worker (Form I-140).
• If the H1B workers have a Labor Certification (PERM)/I-140 petition filed on his or her behalf by a U.S. employer before the 6th year of the H1B visa begins. In this case, the petition must have been pending for at least 365 days on the date of H1B visa expiration.

Another associated benefit is that if the H1B worker is away from the U.S. for a short period of time (to visit his or her family, for example), that period outside the U.S. is not counted towards the 6-year period. In fact, the short period can be used to file another extension with the purpose of recapturing the time spent outside of the U.S. For example, you take one month vacation to your home country, every year, for the past 3 years then you could recapture 3 months of time. If you attended business meetings outside of the U.S. you can accumulate that time as well.

3. H1B Transfer Benefits:

   During the H1B visa stay in the U.S., the employee can port the visa from one employer to another any number of times. Also, the H1B worker can work part-time for multiple employers while holding the regular/full-time position.

4. H1B Visa Dual Intent:

   H1B is a dual intent visa which means that the H1B worker can apply for permanent residency/green card while continuing his or her stay as a nonimmigrant worker. Also, he or she may change the company while pursuing a permanent residency application.

5. H1B Workers Can Study in the U.S.:

   As an H1B worker, you can study full-time as well as part-time in the U.S., if you can handle the regular job simultaneously.

6. All Foreign Nationals Are Welcome:

   Another benefit of H1B visa is that foreign workers from across the globe are eligible to apply for it. The basic requirement of the visa program is a Bachelor’s degree in a specialized field which is not very difficult to meet.

In addition to the H1B visa benefits for the foreign workers, there are many H1B visa benefits for the U.S. employers as well as the U.S. economy:

• Deal with the specialized labor shortage, especially in rural It is because the foreign workers can be the alternative to the specialized local workers who are unwilling to relocate to the rural areas.
• Increased competitiveness as highly specialized workers handpicked from across the globe strengthen the company’s and country’s industrial worth.

H4 Visa Benefits

The H4 visa program permits the spouses and children below 21 of the H1B visa holders to stay in the U.S. until the validity of the H1B visa. In addition, the H4 visa holders enjoy benefits like:

• Study in US

  The H4 visa holders can choose to study in any field in the U.S. They can join the community colleges, universities as well as local institutes to pursue a course. N fact, if you meet certain conditions, you can also enjoy the benefits of H4 visa in-state tuition.

• H4 Visa EAD

  Certain H4 visa holders were granted permission in 2015 to obtain Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to become eligible for working in U.S. In order to qualify, the H-1B Spouse must have an approved I-140 petition. It is important to note though that currently the in 2017 the Trump Administration has begun the steps to revoke the rule allowing H4 spouses to apply for work authorization. As of 2019 though the rule is still active and has not been implemented, therefore H4 visa holders can continue seeking jobs in the U.S.

• Top H4 Rights

  The H4 visa holders are entitled to open a bank account, obtain a U.S. driver’s license and get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

• Status Change

  H4 visa holders can apply to change their status from H4 to F1, H1B etc. For example, in order to change status from H4 to H1B, you must fulfill certain requirements like job offer from an employer exempted from the H1B cap. It is better to consult H4 to H1B visa conversion consultants to enjoy this benefit.

In order to make the best out of these programs, make sure you seek advice from an immigration attorney and also keep a watch on the H1B latest news and updates.

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