H-1B Visa

FY2013 H-1B Cap Count May 11, 2012

As of May 11, 2012, USCIS had received approximately 36,700 FY2013 H-1B cap-subject petitions subject to the regular 65,000 cap (for beneficiaries without a US advanced degree), and approximately 14,800 FY2013 H-1B petitions subject to the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with US advanced degrees. USCIS began accepting FY2013 H-1B petitions April 2, 2012, and is still accepting cap-subject FY2013 H-1B petitions. FY2013 is the government fiscal year beginning October 1, 2012, and ending September 30, 2013. (more…)

FY2013 H-1B Cap Count May 4, 2012

As of May 04, 2012, USCIS had received approximately 32,500 FY2013 H-1B cap-subject petitions subject to the regular 65,000 cap (for beneficiaries without a US advanced degree), and approximately 13,700 FY2013 H-1B petitions subject to the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with US advanced degrees. USCIS began accepting FY2013 H-1B petitions April 2, 2012, and is still accepting cap-subject FY2013 H-1B petitions. FY2013 is the government fiscal year beginning October 1, 2012, and ending September 30, 2013. (more…)

FY2013 H-1B Cap Count Apr 27, 2012

As of April 27, 2012, USCIS had received approximately 29,200 FY2013 H-1B cap-subject petitions subject to the regular 65,000 cap (for beneficiaries without a US advanced degree), and approximately 12,300 FY2013 H-1B petitions subject to the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with US advanced degrees. USCIS began accepting FY2013 H-1B petitions on April 2, 2012, and is still accepting cap-subject FY2013 H-1B petitions.

FY2013 H-1B Cap Updates

As mentioned previously, as FY2013 H-1B filing continues following the April 02, 2012, opening of FY2013 H-1B filing, USCIS will provide regular updates on the processing of FY2013 H-1B petitions that are subject to the annual H-1B cap. When USCIS receives a sufficient number of FY2013 H-1B petitions to meet the annual H-1B cap, they will issue an update advising the public that the FY2013 H-1B cap has been met as of a certain date. This date is known as the “final receipt date.” Note that the date USCIS informs the public that the FY2013 H-1B cap has been reached may differ from the actual final receipt date.

FY2013 H-1B Final Receipt Date and Lottery

If necessary, USCIS may randomly select the number of cap-subject FY2013 H-1B petitions received on the final receipt date that will be considered for final inclusion within the FY2013 H-1B cap. They will reject cap-subject FY2013 H-1B petitions that are not selected in this random lottery, as well as FY2013 H-1B petitions they receive after the final receipt date. Whether or not an H-1B petition is received by the final receipt date will be determined by the date USCIS physically receives the properly filed H-1B petition, not the date that the H-1B petition is postmarked.

FY2013 H-1B Premium Processing

Premium processing of FY2013 H-1B petitions filed during the initial five-day filing window following the first date to file FY2013 H-1B petitions (April 2, 2012) underwent a 15-day processing period that began on April 9, 2012. For all other FY2013 H-1B petitions filed for premium processing, the processing period begins on the date that the properly filed H-1B petition was physically received at the correct USCIS Service Center.

FY2013 H-1B Cap-Exempt Petitions

H-1B petitions filed by employers who are exempt from the annual H-1B cap, as well as H-1B petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the annual H-1B cap within the past six years, will not count toward the FY2013 H-1B cap.

FY2013 H-1B Cap Update April 20, 2012

As of April 20, 2012, USCIS had received approximately 25,000 FY2013 H-1B cap-subject petitions subject to the regular 65,000 cap (for beneficiaries without a US advanced degree), and approximately 10,900 FY2013 H-1B petitions subject to the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with US advanced degrees. The agency began accepting FY2013 H-1B petitions on April 2, 2012, and is still accepting cap-subject FY2013 H-1B petitions. (more…)

FY2013 H-1B Cap Count: April 13, 2012

As of April 13, 2012, USCIS had received approximately 20,600 FY2013 H-1B cap-subject petitions subject to the regular 65,000 cap (for beneficiaries without a US advanced degree), and approximately 9,700 FY2013 H-1B petitions subject to the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with US advanced degrees. The agency began accepting FY2013 H-1B petitions on April 2, 2012, and is still accepting cap-subject FY2013 H-1B petitions. (more…)

FY2013 H-1B Cap Count: April 9, 2012

As of April 9, 2012, USCIS is still accepting cap-subject FY2013 H-1B petitions. The agency began accepting FY2013 H-1B petitions on April 2, 2012. As of April 9, 2012, USCIS had received approximately 17,400 FY2013 H-1B petitions subject to the 65,000 cap for regular petitions (for beneficiaries without a US advanced degree), and approximately 8,200 FY2013 H-1B petitions subject to the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with US advanced degrees. (more…)

FY2013 H-1B Petitions Double Those Received in FY2012

As of April 4, 2012, USCIS had received 22,323 FY2013 cap-subject H-1B petitions for employment start dates beginning October 1, 2012 (fiscal year 2013, or FY2013, begins October 1, 2012, and ends September 30, 2013). Approximately 25% of these FY2013 H-1B petitions are for H-1B beneficiaries with US advanced degrees. According to USCIS figures, the number of H-1B petitions received in the first few days of the FY2013 H-1B season is double the number of petitions received during the first week of April 2011, FY2012 (the current fiscal year 2012, which runs October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012). (more…)

FY2013 H-1B Filing Opens April 01, 2012

FY2013 H-1B filing for cap-subject H-1B petitions with employment start dates of October 01, 2012, opens on April 01, 2012. Cap-subject H-1B employers should prepare for FY2013 H-1B filing as soon as possible on or after that date for H-1B employment beginning in the coming fiscal year, as we expect to reach the FY2013 H-1B cap much more quickly than in the last few years given the apparent upturn in the US economy and probable increased demand for H-1B workers. (more…)

US Embassy London: Limited Visa Processing Summer 2012

The US Embassy London has issued a notice regarding extremely limited US Visa processing in July and August 2012 due to the Olympics in London. In addition, US Embassy London has expanded its Visa Reissuance Program to additional temporary visa categories including the H-1B visa, H-4 visa, C-1 visa, D visa, and J-1 visa. Details are below. (more…)

DHS Proposes Certain Regulatory Immigration Reforms

On January 31, 2012, DHS announced a series of regulatory immigration reforms with a view toward attracting and retaining highly skilled immigrants. Although President Obama supports more comprehensive US immigration reform, including creation of a Startup Visa category, strengthening the H-1B visa program, and providing a Green Card to certain graduates of programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), such reform is currently a long-term goal. However, regulatory reforms are measures that agencies such as DHS can take on their own initiative. For this reason, these are shorter-term goals that may be implemented as soon as the rulemaking process for each is complete. The proposed DHS regulatory reforms are listed below. (more…)