H1B Visa Cap Updates on May 3 2011

FY 2012 H-1B Cap Count Update: 

Last Count Date: April 29, 2011
H-1B Regular Cap: 9,200, an increase of 1200 in one week
H-1B Master’s Exemption: 6,600, an increase of 700 in one week

http://www.myvisajobs.com/H1B-Visa/VisaCap.aspx

* : The current annual cap of H1B Visa is 65,000. Not all foreing workers holding H1B Visa are subject to this annual cap.

1. U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements allow up to 6,800(1,400 for Chilean nationals and 5,400 for Singapore nationals) be set aside from the cap during each fiscal year. Unused numbers in this pool are made available for H1B use for the next fiscal year.
2. Laws exempt up to 20,000 foreign nationals holding a master’s or higher degree from U.S. universities from the cap on H1B Visas.
3. Laws also exempt all H1B non-immigrants who work at universities and non-profit research facilities from the cap on H1B Visas.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS) uses the information provided in Part C of the H1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement (Form I-129, pages 14 through 15) to determine whether a petition is subject to the 65,000 H-1B numerical limitation (the “cap”).

The above reported numbers are the numbers of petitions that USCIS has accepted for this particular type of cap. It includes cases that have been approved or are still pending. It does not include petitions that have been denied.