April 1 H-1B Initial Filing Date For FY 2014 Quickly Approaching

With the federal government's fiscal year 2014 approaching, employers who wish to sponsor a first time H-1B worker should contact their immigration counsel soon to begin the petition process. There are only 65,000 H-1B slots available nationwide each federal fiscal year for foreign nationals seeking their initial grant of H-1B nonimmigrant status. There are also an additional 20,000 H-1B slots to foreign nationals who have earned a master's degree or higher from a college or university in the United States. This annual allocation of 85,000 H-1B slots is collectively referred to as the "H-1B Cap."

Employers' ability to seek one of these limited H-1B Cap slots for the upcoming federal fiscal year starts April 1, 2013 as United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations allow first time H-1B petitions to be filed up to six months before the start of the fiscal year (October 1, 2013) for which the slot will be allocated. The strong demand for new