United States: FY 2013 H-1B Numbers Remain Available, Though Advanced-Degree Exemption Approaches Exhaustion
USCIS reports that, as of May 25, it had received 48,400 filings against the standard H-1B cap of 65,000, and 17,500 filings against the cap exemption of 20,000 for foreign nationals holding U.S. advanced degrees – an increase of 6,400 standard and 1,500 advanced-degree cases since the last count on May 18.
Although both standard and advanced-degree numbers remain available, employers planning to petition for FY 2013 H-1B employment must act quickly to ensure that their needs can be met. The pace of cap number usage is expected to accelerate further in the coming weeks, as graduation season comes to a close and as the advanced-degree exemption nears exhaustion. Furthermore, the precise number of remaining H-1B cap slots is not known, because there is a lag between the time USCIS makes the cap count and the time it is reported publicly, during which cases continue to be filed.
If your organization is planning to petition for H-1B employment in FY 2013, contact your designated Fragomen professional as soon as possible.
Fragomen closely monitors the H-1B cap count and will provide further updates as the filing period proceeds. If you have any questions about this Client Alert, please contact your designated Fragomen professional.