The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap for fiscal year 2020.
USCIS will next determine if they have received a sufficient number of petitions to meet the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap.
The agency will reject and return filing fees for all unselected cap-subject petitions.
USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed for current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap, and who still retain their cap number, are exempt from the FY 2020 H-1B cap. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to:
– Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States;
– Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;
– Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and
– Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.
US businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations.
Article published 9th April 2019