Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.
On May 11, 2012, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an update to the number of H-1B petitions received to date for the FY2013 cap: 36,700 petitions under the 65,000 regular H-1B cap, and 8,200 petitions under the 14,800 H-1B U.S. Master’s Degree Exemption. This means that approximately 44% of regular H-1B petitions and about 26% of U.S. Master’s Degree Exemption petitions remain available. As previously discussed, employers would be wise to initiate H-1B cap cases as soon as possible, as the historical filing data suggest that the cap is very likely to be met earlier than it was in 2010 and 2011.