H-1B Specialty Workers Cap Season Open

April 1rst marks the beginning of the H-1B cap season.  The H-1B visa is a temporary visa available for U.S. companies seeking to hire a foreign worker for a position that qualifies as a specialty worker.  In general, specialty workers are those positions which require a bachelor's degree or higher.

Every year, 65,000 visas are available for specialty workers.  An additional 20,000 visas are available for specialty workers who hold a masters degree or higher from a U.S. institution.

Applications for the H-1B visas can be filed up to six months before the beginning of the fiscal year.  That means that the first day that H-1B visa petitions can be filed is April 1 for visas that will be valid starting on October 1.

A few years ago, there were more petitions filed during the first week of April than there were visas available.  However, for the past few years, visas have remained available for a few months after April 1.  With the economy showing signs of bouncing back, there is a possibility that all of the available visas will be taken in a short period of time.

By: William J. Kovatch, Jr.
(703) 837-8832
info@kovatchimigrationlaw.com