On April 5, 2012, USCIS let it be known, unofficially, that for
the three business day period of April 2 through April 4, it had
received 22,323 H-1B cap filings, of which roughly a quarter to a
third were advanced-degree exemption cases. This appears to be more
than double the number of cases filed at this time last year. On
April 7, 2011 [last year's count], USCIS reported, for the five
business day period of April 1 through April 7, 2011, that only
10,400 cases were received, of which 4,500 were advanced degree
cases. The total allocation each year is 65,000 with an additional
20,000 for holders of U.S. Master's degrees or higher.
Last year H-1B Cap subject visas remained available into November.
It looks like this year the cutoff date is likely to be
considerably earlier. Those involved in hiring and visa processing
decisions should contact our Immigration & Nationality Group,
to facilitate the prompt filing of H-1B petitions where
appropriate.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
