H-1B Cap Reached for FY 2011

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on January 26, 2011, that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2011.

USCIS noted that January 26, 2011, is the “final receipt date” for new H-1B specialty occupation petitions requesting an employment start date in FY 2011. The final receipt date is the date on which USCIS determines that it has received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the limit of 65,000. Properly filed cases will be considered received on the date that USCIS physically receives the petition, not the date that the petition was postmarked. USCIS said it will reject cap-subject petitions for new H-1B specialty occupation workers seeking an employment start date in FY 2011 that arrive after the final receipt date.

USCIS will apply a computer-generated random selection process to all petitions that are subject to the cap and were received on January 26, 2011. USCIS will reject all remaining cap-subject petitions not randomly selected and will return the accompanying fee.

USCIS noted that it will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap will not be counted toward the FY 2011 H-1B cap. Accordingly, USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to:

• extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the U.S.;
• 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.

U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.

Source: USCIS Press Release