Visa Lawyer Blog
H1B filings are looking much better than last year. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions subject to the Fiscal Year 2011 (FY 2011) cap. USCIS will monitor the number of petitions received for both the 65,000 general cap and the 20,000 U.S. master’s degree or higher educational exemption.
USCIS has received approximately 13,500 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap. The agency has received approximately 5,600 petitions for individuals with advanced degrees.
There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the cap this year. Unless there is a remarkable change in the economy in the next few months, the filing levels are likely to continue to be low. The USCIS is expected to continue closely scrutinizing H1B filings, and to demand detailed proof of the nature of the job offer and eligibility for H1B approval. We will keep you posted.