U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin
accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2015 cap on
April 1, 2014. Cases will be considered accepted on the date that USCIS
receives a properly filed petition with the correct fee. USCIS will not
rely on the date that the petition is postmarked.
The
congressionally mandated cap on H-1B visas for FY 2015 is 65,000. The
first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals with a U.S.
master’s degree or higher are exempt from the 65,000 cap.
USCIS
anticipates receiving more than enough petitions to reach both caps by
April 7. The agency is prepared to use a random selection process to
meet the numerical limit. Non-duplicate petitions that are not selected
will be rejected and returned with the filing fees.
Due to the
high level of premium processing receipts anticipated, combined with the
possibility that the H-1B cap will be met in the first 5 business days
of the filing season, USCIS has temporarily adjusted its current premium
processing practice. To facilitate the prioritized intake of
cap-subject petitions requesting premium processing, USCIS will begin
premium processing for H-1B cap cases no later than April 28, 2014. For
more information on premium processing for FY 2015 cap-subject
petitions, see the USCIS Alert.
H-1B
petitioners should follow all requirements to avoid processing delays
and possible requests for evidence. USCIS has detailed information,
including an optional checklist, to assist in completing and submitting
an FY 2015 H-1B petition. The processing worksheet is available on the
USCIS website, www.uscis.gov.
U.S.
businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in
occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as
science, engineering and computer programming.
For more information on the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program and current Form I-129 processing times, visit the H-1B FY 2015 Cap Season Web page. Or call the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283 or (800) 767-1833 (TDD for the hearing impaired).
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook(/uscis), and the USCIS blog The Beacon.
Let the games begin. Good luck to those entering the madness games. Yet, I think most people that frequent this blog are a few steps ahead in the process and the H1B days are far back.
ReplyDeleteCouldnt agree with you more
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