Relief for techies: US gives nod for H-1B visa extension

In some relief to H-1B workers, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency has given its nod to extend H-1B visas that have expired or are set to expire.

“At the back of the coronavirus crisis, non-immigrants can mitigate immigration consequences such as deportation by applying for an extension of stay or change in status. Further, USCIS continues to accept and process applications and petitions, and many of our forms are available for online filing,” DHS said. The extension also applies to non-immigrant visa holders.

This development comes at a time when the annual (65,000) visas come up for renewal. This year, however, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, no hiring has happened in the US since January, and this has put H-1B holders at risk if the visas are not renewed or extended.