Immigration NEWS—USCIS announced on 4/7/17 that it has reached the H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2018 for both regular and master’s cap petitions.

In immigration news, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced today that it has reached the congressionally mandated 65,000 visa H-1B cap for fiscal year 2018. It received enough H-1B visa petitions to meet the 20,000 so called “master’s cap”. What this means is that unselected petitions will now be returned to the petitioning employer or immigration counsel’s office.

USCIS has not yet indicated how many petitions were filed under the FY 2018 H-1B visa cap. We will provide that information once it becomes available.

The experienced immigration attorney at Columbus, Ohio-based Porter Law Office, LLC has in depth experience with securing immigration benefits including H-1B visas. If you need assistance with an H-1B visa, contact the business immigration lawyer at Porter Law Office, LLC in Columbus, Ohio today.

What Happens Next?

Now that the FY 2018 H-1B visa cap has been reached, USCIS will reject and return the filing fees of the unselected petitions. If your H-1B visa petition was exempt from the cap, USCIS will continue to process it. Also, if you were previously counted against the H-1B visa cap, and you have retained your cap number, you will not be counted toward the FY 2018 visa cap.

In addition, USCIS will continue to process H-1B petitions filed to:

1. Extend H-1B status
2. Amend the terms and conditions of employment for current H-1B workers
3. Transfer an H-1B visa to another employer
4. File a concurrent H-1B petition

U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require specialized knowledge. To get immigration news, subscribe to our blog today.

Immigration Lawyer in Columbus, Ohio

H-1B Visa Attorney

Porter Law Office, LLC has experience in securing H-1B visas for a wide variety of organization and individuals. The H-1B visa process is complex. There are strict federal labor laws and immigration rules and regulations. Columbus, Ohio immigration lawyer Matthew R. Porter, Esq. assists employers in complying with the H-1B visa regulations. We can help your organization with H-1B visa petition filings and compliance issues. If your organization is considering sponsoring a foreign national on an H-1B visa, contact Columbus, Ohio immigration lawyer Matthew R. Porter to discuss your H-1B visa options.