When the H-1B filing season started this April 1st, everyone anxiously waited to see how many applications will be received during the first 5 days. For the first time since 2008, the H-1B was reached within the first week. Not just reached, but exceeded! This prompted the USCIS to conduct a “lottery” – a computer-generated random selection process to select 85,000 petitions which will be processed. The lottery was completed on April 7th.
Those that were not selected will receive their petitions and the filing fees back from the USCIS.
H-1B number game this year:
- Number of regular H-1B cap visas available: 65,000
- Number of advanced degree (Master’s degree or higher) H-1B cap visas available: 20,000
- Number of petitions received by USCIS the first week of April 2013: about 124,000
Perhaps it is time to address H-1B cap limits in the immigration reform and let the markets decide.
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