Reminder: H-1B Cap Filings Start on April 1, 2017 for Fiscal Year 2018

January 24, 2017

It is that time of the year again – H-1B Cap Season, when we prepare cap subject H-1B Petitions for submission on April 1, 2017 for the earliest possible start date of October 1, 2017.

USCIS’ fiscal year begins October 1st. The earliest an H-1B Petition can be filed is April 1st. Last year, all 65,000 H-1B visas (allotted to those holding a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) and all 20,000 H-1B visas (allotted to those holding a U.S. Master’s degree or higher) were exhausted in the first five days of filing —six months before the start of the fiscal year – and USCIS conducted a random computer-generated “lottery” of the approximately 236,000 Petitions received!

Once again, we anticipate that the quota will be reached again this year during the first five days of filing.

If you have an employee who needs a new H-1B visa (i.e. F-1 students on Optional Practical Training, J-1 visa holders, TN holders, new overseas hires, etc.), please contact our office immediately to get this process started!

More information on the H-1B visa petition process can be found here.

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