USCIS released the following statement today:
USCIS Update
April 8, 2009
USCIS Continues to Accept FY 2010 H-1B Petitions
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant visa petitions subject to the fiscal year 2010 (FY 2010) cap. USCIS will continue to monitor the number of H-1B petitions received for both the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 U.S. master’s degree or higher educational exemption cap.
Should USCIS receive the necessary number of petitions to meet the respective caps, it will issue an update to advise the public that, as of a certain date (the “final receipt date”), the respective FY 2010 H-1B caps have been met. The final receipt date will be based on the date USCIS physically receives the petition, not the date that the petition is postmarked. The date or dates USCIS informs the public that the respective caps have been reached may differ from the actual final receipt date.
To ensure a fair system, USCIS may randomly select the number of petitions required to reach the numerical limit from the petitions received as of the final receipt date. USCIS will reject cap subject petitions that are not selected, as well as those received after the final receipt date.
Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers, who have been counted previously against the cap, will not count toward the congressionally mandated FY 2010 H-1B cap. Therefore, USCIS will continue to process petitions filed to:
• Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States.
• Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers.
• Allow current H-1B workers to change employers.
• Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.
H-1B in General U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.
– USCIS –
As of 4/10/08, only 42,000 visas have been received by the USCIS. The annual cap has not yet been met… Hope this brings good news.
That’s so good news!
Thank God he heard our prayer. At least, we cleared the first step. Next step will be praying and hoping for an APPROVAL soon.
I am a PT & I’m one of those 42,000 aspiring applicants.
That’s really good news!
When will be the earliest possible time “the APPROVAL” will be released? For the premium processing and the regular processing? Thanks!
We have already started receiving receipt notices for cases filed via premium processing, so the first approvals should be arriving in the next couple of weeks. Receipt notices for non-premium cases are probably still a couple of weeks away with approvals likely to be a couple of months away.
I’m still praying that I will be approved this year for the h1b visa..despite of the issue on materal.
God is so good!