With a little over 28,000 visas pending from the last year’s applications, likely to be counted under this year’s cap, the quota will decidedly be exhausted by December '04.
It is the 'dollar dreams' time of the year again. India shining has not dulled either the desire or the enthusiasm for USA - the land still holds promise. The filing for H1B visa is set to begin from April 1, 2004 six months in advance before the action begins on October 1, 2004.
With the cap of 65,000 on H1B visas, the rush is already on. According to MD of a global career management company Y-Axis, Xavier Augustine, with a little over 28,000 pending from the last year’s applications likely to be counted under this year’s cap, the quota will decidedly be exhausted by December 2004. "The consultants in US move faster than any MNC can," elaborated Augustine. His company Y-Axis has offices in California, Hyderabad and Bangalore and is looking at cornering as much of the visa pizza as they can. "We are aiming to do at least 500," he said recalling the good old IT boom days when Y-Axis was known as the H1B company.
To survive the downturn Augustine changed the company’s business model to include the healthcare vertical and now offers right from career counseling to placement and immigration, primarily to the US, UK and Germany and maintains a job site for cross border jobs.
Given the fact that on an average 60 percent of the H1B from India goes to Andhra Pradesh. Y-Axis already has a name as far as H1B is concerned and Augustine is confident of meeting his target
"Add to it the H1B’s portability clause, which allows the job seekers to transfer their sponsor within a week-10 days and it’s a cakewalk of an opportunity," said Augustine.
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