Melissa Salvador was recently interviewed by Emily Douglas from Human Resources Canada to explain who is eligible to apply for the H1-B visa, and which industries will be most affected by the ches surrounding it. The analysis was published in the February 2018 on the online publication of Human Resources Director – Canada.
In the article, Melissa answers questions about the eligibility of workers who can apply for an H1-B work visa, if technology workers will be most affected by changes from the Trump administration, and how these visa changes may affect the employment landscape in Canada.
To read the article you can see it in part below, or click here to view it on the Human Resources Director website.
Canadians face uncertain road to working in US
Emily Douglas
Human Resources Director
February 9, 2018
For Canadian employees looking to live and work in the US, the H1-B visa is the most effective way to legally emigrate. With the April 2nd deadline to file rapidly approaching, the uncertainty created by the government shutdown and the Trump administration are making it harder for highly skilled immigrants to work in the US.
We spoke to Melissa Salvador, an immigration lawyer at Altro LLP, who explained to us who is eligible to apply, and which industries will be most affected by the changes.
Which Canadian workers are eligible to apply for an H1-B work visa?
The H-1B visa is primarily for skilled workers performing services in specialty occupations, which require a Bachelor’s or higher degree or its equivalent that is common for entry into the particular profession. In other words, the worker must possess at least a Bachelor’s degree, because the job is so complex or unique that it can only be performed by an individual with a degree.
In addition to the degree, the Canadian worker must also have experience directly related to the position being offered and, if required for the specialty occupation, hold an unrestricted state license, registration, or certification that authorizes the person to fully practice their specialty occupation. Examples of such specialty occupations include engineers, lawyers, doctors, computer programmers, and accountants, to name a few.