No Hiring New H1B Visa-Holders for US Companies - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

No Hiring New H1B Visa-Holders

When it comes to foreign nationals trying to find a job in this country, the next year is grim. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has reached its cap for the number of H1B visas for the year.

These temporary visas are typically the only practical way for non-Americans to work in the U.S. For international students, it is a race to get on that list.

"I don't want to go back home because I came all the way so far and I don't want to go back," says Sachin Bhandari.

The 24-year-old left his homeland of Nepal to come to the US with dreams of becoming a doctor. In four and a half years, Bhandari received his nursing degree from MSUM and started working at a hospital and two retirement homes.

Now, he's hit a hurdle.

"Sometimes it's a little frustrating because you just go go go and there's just a stop sign right there," says Bhandari.

In just 10 weeks, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services filled its annual allotment of 85,000 visas. It's a system that's first-come, first-served for skilled foreign workers. Those who fail to make the cut then have to begin a game of "musical chairs" -- left to look for alternative ways within the U.S. visa system.

Don Morton, Site Leader of Microsoft in Fargo, also represents North Dakota in the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The bipartisan group made up of businessman in 12 Midwestern states has seen many young talent forced to leave the country after graduating.

"It just highlights a major problem we have in our country," says Morton. "We are all sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of immigrants. That's the way our country has been and for us to get away from that I just not very good policy on our part."

"I wish I could have more time," says Bhandari.

For Sachin, he's not ready to give up his American dream. He plans to go back to school in the fall to get his masters and try again in a two years.

Morton says he and members of the Chicago Council of Global Affairs plan to head to Washington after the November election to lobby for changes to immigration policy.