MASSACHUSETTS PUTS OUT THE WELCOME MAT FOR H-1B WORKERS

The State of Massachusetts has hit upon an ingenious plan to widen the path for H-1B workers and employers, as reported by CNN/Money.  By using the H-1B “concurrent” employer program and coupling it with the H-1B “cap exemption” for Universities, Massachusetts will help foreign entrepreneurs obtain H-1B visas to work in Massachusetts.

The plan appears to work like this: the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative will vet prospective H-1B entrepreneurs.  When an innovative entrepreneur is identified, the Collaborative will find a Massachusetts University to sponsor the H-1B worker under the “cap exemption” rule.  This rule says that an H-1B worker who is sponsored by a University is not subject to the H-1B lottery. 

Because there is no set required number of hours that the H-1B worker must be employed at the University, the expectation is that the H-1B worker will only work 8-10 hours per week at the University. 

Presumably, the H-1B start-up will then sponsor the H-1B worker for a “concurrent” H-1B visa.  The H-1B employee will spend the rest of the work-week employed by the start-up. 

Without the assistance of the University, the plan would not work because the start-up’s H-1B sponsorship would normally be subject to the H-1B lottery.  The plan is an elegant and creative one to deal with an outdated H-1B cap.

There is no reason that Massachusetts has to limit this plan to entrepreneurs.  It could also be used to help fill critically short healthcare occupations.