October 27, 2005

USCIS Releases Updated Numbers of H-1B Availability Under Master's Degree Cap Exemption

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") has announced that as of October 23, 2005, it had received a total of 13, 393 H-1B applications that would be subject to the 20,000 cap exemption for graduates of U.S. advanced educational degree programs. Of this amount, there have been 9,680 approved H-1Bs approved and there are 3,713 petitions that remain pending.

We encourage employers to seek assistance in filing petitions as soon as possible for any possible candidate they have identified that could qualify for an H-1B under this limited cap exemption.