Do you want a H1B visa in 2011 to work in the United States? Well, so does Ram, Sham, Tom, Dick and Harry and every other aspiring IT techie brandishing a Bachelor’s degree from IIT and MIT alike. By the way, if you don’t know what those acronyms mean, then you have no business googling terms like “H1B visa” anyway. Moving on, for those of you still reading, we’ve already established that you want an H1B visa in 2011 to work in the United States, and hopefully 3 years from now apply for the coveted green card and eventually get your US citizenship. Well, lets not get ahead of ourselves, now. Backtracking to the H1B visa issue at hand, what will get you that H1B visa in 2011?

Also read: 30 Companies that Hire International Students

Knowledge. You need to know the different channels through which you can apply for the H1B visa in 2011. You also need to know if you qualify. You will need to know important deadlines and will have forms to fill out.

What is the easiest way to get an H1B visa in 2011?
The easiest way to get an H1B visa in 2011 would be if you were already physically present in the U.S. Well, lets not use the word easy, less difficult would be a more appropriate term. You see, U.S employers are more inclined to respond to your resume and call you for an interview if you are present in the country. Employers like to meet and talk to the person they are going to be hiring before they sponsor an H1B visa. If you are in the U.S on a student visa, you get OPT work permit for 12 months (longer for STEM majors) after your graduation. That is the time you should use to find a company that will sponsor your H1B visa. Read this article on how to effective use your OPT work permit to find a job: Give Yourself 5 Months to Find a Job Before Your OPT Starts. With your OPT work permit, you can start working right away, and when the time comes, you can apply for the H1B visa and if approved, switch your status from F1 to H1B. The hard part is finding an employer that is willing to sponsor you for the H1B visa.

USCIS starts accepting H1B applications in April of each year. If your application is approved, the work permit starts in October.

What should you do if you are not in the U.S?
You can still apply to companies from your home country to see if they will hire you. But unless you have skills that are highly sought after, chances are slim that you will get a H1B visa this way. Companies do not want to wait until October for an employee to start working if they need someone in April. Another route you can take to get a H1B visa in 2011 is to go with consulting companies. There are IT companies that will hire you to work as contractors on projects. Most of these companies are owned by Indian IT folks. A google search on Indian IT consulting firms will give you a list of these companies. However, some of these companies have been accused in the past of illegal and/or unethical practices, so you should be careful if you decide to take this route.

What are the minimum requirements for H1B visa?
To apply for an H1B visa,

• you must have at least a Bachelors degree
• the minimum entry requirement for the job must be a Bachelors degree or higher
• to see the full requirements, visit the following site: http://www.uscis.gov

Let us know in the comments if you are going to be applying for H1B. Good luck on your H1B visa application in 2011.