Shortened H-1b Approvals
Although I routinely say that I prefer a shortened H-1b approval over a denial, I often see the frustration on the part of my IT and engineering staffing and solutions companies when they get an H-1b approval shortened to the date of the current JO,PO, or SOW expiration. We can only assume that USCIS examiners are not ignorant to the realities of PO's etc and fully recognize that they are often issued in quarterly or yearly periods that do not necessarily reflect the full-time of the engagement; consequently, we must assume that the USCIS practice is but, another effort to create a chilling effect on the use of H-1b visas. Now it appears that this practice has shifted from the staffing industry to also impact other industries. Check out this recent Bloomberg article. From my own practice, I recently had a Fortune 500 client asked to prove that they had sufficient work for an IT professional to do for the full 3 years sought.