United States: H-1B Cap Filings Increase by 5,600 in One Week
As of April 20, a total of 35,900 H-1B cap cases were filed for Fiscal Year 2013, USCIS has announced. This is an increase of 5,600 filings since the agency’s last count on April 13. Some 25,000 cases have been filed against the standard H-1B cap of 65,000 and 10,900 have been filed against the exemption of 20,000 for foreign nationals holding U.S. advanced degrees.
FY 2013 cap filings continue to outpace the rate of the last two years. At around this time in 2011, USCIS had received roughly 12,200 cap filings, while in 2010 it had received approximately 19,400 cases during a comparable period. The pace at which H-1B filings are now being received confirms that this year’s quota will likely be reached earlier than the FY 2011 and FY 2012 caps.
If your organization is planning to petition for H-1B employment in FY 2013, contact your designated Fragomen professional as soon as possible so that cases can be filed promptly.
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.