USCIS announced today that it reached the H-1B cap – 65,000 bachelor’s degree petitions and 20,000 US master’s degree petitions – and that it will not accept any more petitions. As in the prior years, they will run a random computerized lottery to determine which petitions receive H-1B numbers. Petitioners should start receiving receipts or rejected cases in one to two months.
USCIS will continue to accept and process H-1B petitions that are not subject to the cap (including institutions of higher education, organizations affiliated with institutions of higher education, governmental and research organizations). However, premium processing has been temporarily suspended for all H-1B petitions as of April 3, 2017.
Also, USCIS will continue to accept the following petitions that are filed to:
• Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States;
• Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;
• Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and
• Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.