U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Thursday, March 12th that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 cap on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. Cases will be considered accepted on the date that USCIS receives a properly filed petition for which the correct fee has been submitted; not the date that the petition is postmarked.
The cap (the numerical limitation on H-1B petitions) for FY 2016 is 65,000. In addition, the first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals with U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the fiscal year cap of 65,000.
USCIS stated that it is possible that the H-1B cap will be met in the first 5 business days! Also be advised that premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions will begin no later than May 11, 2015. See the USCIS’s Premium Processing section for more details.
For more information on the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program and current Form I-129 processing times, visit the H-1B Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Cap Season web page or call the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283.
The MVP Law Group has successfully handled H1B petitions for a variety of clients ranging from the straight forward to the complex. Please feel free to contact one of our knowledgeable attorneys to discuss your immigration needs and help you effectively with your H1B processing. Our experienced Immigration Attorneys can help you devise an appropriate strategy for the H1B FY2016 cap season.
Source of Information:
USCIS.gov, (3/12/15), Press Release:
USCIS Will Accept H-1B Petitions for Fiscal Year 2016 Beginning April 1, 2015
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