US Immigration Alert: Fiscal Year 2013 H-1B Cap now open
Today marks the beginning of the filing period for H-1B petitions subject to cap limits for the fiscal year (FY) 2013, which runs from October 1st, 2012 to September 30th, 2013.
The H-1B visa category is reserved for employer-sponsored “specialty” or “professional” occupations which require at least a Bachelor’s degree in a specialized field. The non-immigrant visa category has a limit of six years, with the ability to extend if green card sponsorship is pursued.
By law, each year 65,000 visas are available for Regular H-1B cap petitions (Bachelor’s degrees). An additional 20,000 visas are made available for Master H-1B cap petitions (advanced degrees awarded at U.S. universities). If more than 65,000 Regular H-1B cap cases are received at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within the first five business days of the FY (from 2-6 April), USCIS provides for a lottery to determine which cases are selected. Master H-1B cap petitions will still continue to count against the 20,000 visa limit until it is reached.
http://www.relocatemagazine.com/immigration-a-visas/immigration-a-visa-news-main/4048-us-immigration-alert-fiscal-year-2013-h-1b-cap-now-open
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