USCIS RECEIVES 199,000 H-1B CAP PETITIONS

USCIS announced on April 17, 2017, that it has received 199,000 H-1B cap-subject petitions, which is about 20% fewer than the 236,000 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were received in 2016 and the 233,000 that were received in 2015.  USCIS is in the process of running the H-1B lottery and notifying H-1B cap winners.  Petitioners should expect about 43% of their H-1B cap filings to be H-1B cap winners.

As announced on March 3, USCIS has temporarily suspended premium processing for all H-1B petitions, including cap-exempt petitions, for up to six months.

USCIS 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. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions 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;
• Amend the H-1B petition to notify the USCIS of the filing of a new LCA and/or geographic change in employment;
• Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and
• Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second, contemporaneous part-time H-1B position.