April 8, 2016
For the fourth straight year, the H-1B Cap has been filled in the first week in which cap-subject H-1B petitions are accepted (April 1 – 7). USCIS will run a random lottery to determine which of the petitions received during this week will be accepted under the cap and processed.
The current annual cap on H-1B admissions is 65,000 workers, plus an additional 20,000 for holders of U.S. Master’s degrees or higher. Last year USCIS received nearly 233,000 cap-subject petitions for these 85,000 available slots – an all time record. If that record is broken yet again this year, it’s likely that fewer than 1 out of every 3 petitions will even be processed, bringing into sharp relief the need for legislation to increase the cap.
Cap-exempt employers – including colleges and universities and related or affiliated non-profit entities, non-profit research organizations, and governmental research organizations – are free to file an H-B petition at any time of the year.
September 10, 2020
USCIS Issues Updates to Final Fee RuleUSCIS has updated their regulations regarding fees, fee exemptions, waiver policies, premium processing time limits, which we will summarize. All…More
August 17, 2020
State Department Clarifies National Interest Exception Rules for H, J, and L Visa Petitions Under Previous Presidential Proclamation Limiting Their IssueFollowing the Presidential Proclamation from June 22, 2020, which severely restricted the abilities of qualified foreign nationals to enter the…More
August 10, 2020
Two Executive Orders Issued Regarding Immigrant Workers and Federal ContractorsPresident Trump has issued two executive orders affecting immigrant workers. The first instructs the Department of Labor to “finalize guidance…More