It is time for us to prepare for a new round of H-1B petitions filed pursuant to the cap. The opening date is April 1, 2011, and the earliest start date is October 1, 2011. If the economy continues to be depressed, then it is not likely that the cap will be reached within a day or a week, like several years prior. Will it take until December 2011 for it to be reached? Who knows, but the rate of cap usage is certainly indicative of the state of the economy, especially from this immigration law office. I am recommending that petitioners still file as early as possible to ensure that they get an H-1B visa number.
