On April 7, 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had reached the congressionally mandated 65,000 regular H-1B cap for fiscal year 2015. USCIS also announced that it received sufficient H-1B petitions to meet the 20,000 U.S. master’s exemption. Any cap-subject H-1B petitions received after April 7, 2014 will be rejected.
USCIS will conduct a computer-generated lottery to select cap-subject cases received between April 1, 2014 and April 7, 2014. Cases received by USCIS during this period that are not selected under the lottery procedure will be rejected and returned to the petitioner with the filing fees.
For cap-subject H-1B petitions that were filed with the USCIS Premium Processing service, the 15-day adjudication period will not begin until after USCIS has completed intake of cap-subject petitions. USCIS has advised that premium processing for H-1B cap cases will begin no later than April 28, 2014.
The exhaustion of the FY2015 quota means that companies will not be able to file petitions for new H-1B petitions again until April 1, 2015 for positions with October 1, 2015 start dates. Please contact us to discuss any employees or candidates affected by the exhaustion of the H-1B cap.
Please click here to view the USCIS announcement that it has reached the FY2015 cap.
What is the H-1B cap?
The current law allocates an annual limit of 65,000 new H-1B visas that may be issued each fiscal year. Out of the 65,000 new H-1B numbers, 6,800 are set aside for H-1Bs under the terms of the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements, resulting in 58,200 visas available under the regular H-1B program. Additionally, Congress has made available 20,000 H-1B visas for foreign workers holding a master's degree or higher from a U.S. academic institution.
Who is subject to the H-1B cap?
With limited exceptions, all individuals seeking new H-1B employment are subject to the cap limit. Individuals subject to the H-1B cap include:
- Foreign nationals outside the U.S. seeking to enter in H-1B status
- Foreign nationals already in the U.S. seeking to change to H-1B status (e.g., students in F-1 status or working under Optional Practical Training)
- Foreign nationals already in the U.S. seeking to change to H-1B status for a strategic reason (e.g., those in TN status wishing to apply for a green card, or those in L-1 status approaching the maximum L-1 time limit)
- H-1B holders changing from a cap-exempt employer to a cap-subject employer
Who is not subject to the H-1B cap?
Individuals who are employees of cap-exempt employers or who have been previously counted under an H-1B quota within the past six years are not subject to the FY2015 cap. This includes:
- Foreign nationals already in H-1B status in the U.S., working for a cap-subject employer, seeking to “port” their H-1B status to another company
- Foreign nationals already in H-1B status in the U.S. seeking to extend their H-1B status
- Foreign nationals seeking employment with certain H-1B-exempt employers such as universities, nonprofit research organizations and government research organizations
How long does it take for the cap to be reached?
In years prior to FY2010, USCIS had received enough petitions within the first five days of the eligible filing period and had conducted a computer-generated lottery for petitions received within the eligible filing period in order to select the H-1B petitions eligible to receive an H-1B number for the fiscal year.
From FY2010 to FY2012, it took several months before the H-1B cap was exhausted, but a significant increase in demand reappeared in FY2013 and visa numbers were depleted in early June. FY2014 saw a return to the high demand which exhausted the annual quota within the first five business days of the eligible filing period.
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Final Receipt Date |
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H-1B Fiscal Year |
Regular Cap |
Master’s Cap |
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FY2015 |
4/7/13 |
4/7/13 |
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FY2014 |
4/5/13 |
4/5/13 |
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FY2013 |
6/11/12 |
6/11/12 |
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FY2012 |
11/22/11 |
10/19/11 |
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FY2011 |
1/26/11 |
12/22/10 |
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FY2010 |
12/21/09 |
Mid-April 2009 |
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FY2009 |
4/7/08 |
4/7/08 |