Foley & Lardner LLP of counsel Mark Neuberger shares insights on the new H-1B visa policies in the Medscape article, “As H-1B Visa Costs Skyrocket, Hospitals and Clinics Fret Over Foreign Doctors: 5 Things to Know.”
Neuberger said that previously, the United States would allow for-profit companies to apply for a limited number of H-1B visas each year, but due to overwhelming demand, the federal government implemented a lottery system.
The administration’s overhaul of the H-1B lottery system, he noted, “essentially allows companies to buy multiple ‘lottery tickets’ if positions are higher-paid. If you’re in class 4, the highest tier, it’s like four lottery tickets. If you’re in the lowest tier, you only buy one ticket.”
He added that “companies will have to pay the $100,000 fee, forcing them to make a cost-benefit analysis about whether hiring a foreign worker is worth the expense.”