H1B Visa Lawyer Blog
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Wednesday, March 16th that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 cap on Friday, April 1, 2016. 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 2017 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 16, 2016. 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) 2017 Cap Season web page or call the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283.
The MVP Law Group has successfully handled H-1B petitions for a variety of clients ranging from the straight forward to the complex. Please feel free to contact our law firm to discuss your immigration needs and help you effectively with your H-1B processing. Our experienced Immigration Attorney can help you devise an appropriate strategy for the H-1B FY2017 cap season.
For more detailed information about this subject please review the USCIS News Alert, “USCIS Will Accept H-1B Petitions for Fiscal Year 2017 Beginning April 1, 2016“.
Source of Information:
USCIS.gov, 3/16/16, News Release:
USCIS Will Accept H-1B Petitions for Fiscal Year 2017 Beginning April 1, 2016
USCIS.gov, 3/16/16, Web Page:
H-1B Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Cap Season