![]() |
![]() |
|
SUBSCRIBE
The leading Copyright |
H-1B Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Cap SeasonThe H-1B Program U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers. For more information about the H-1B program, see the link to the left under temporary workers for H-1B Specialty Occupations and Fashion Models. How USCIS Determines if an H-1B Petition is Subject to the FY 2013 Cap We use the information provided in Part C of the H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement (Form I-129, pages 17 through 19, with a revision date of November 23, 2010, or later) to determine whether a petition is subject to the 65,000 H-1B numerical limitation (the “cap”). Some petitions are exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption provided to the first 20,000 petitions filed for a beneficiary who has obtained a U.S. master’s degree or higher. Unless otherwise exempt from the cap, petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries who have obtained a U.S. master’s degree or higher will be counted against the regular cap once USCIS has received sufficient petitions to reach the advanced degree exemption. FY 2013 H-1B Cap Count
Cap Eligible Petitions This is the number 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. Cap Amounts The current annual cap on the H-1B category is 65,000. Not all H-1B nonimmigrants are subject to this annual cap. Please note that up to 6,800 visas are set aside from the cap of 65,000 during each fiscal year for the H-1B1 program under the terms of the legislation implementing the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements. Unused numbers in this pool are made available for H-1B use for the next fiscal year. When to File an FY 2013 H-1B Cap-Subject Petition We will begin accepting H-1B petitions that are subject to the FY 2013 cap on Monday April 2, 2012. You may file an H-1B petition no more than 6 months in advance of the requested start date. How to Properly File Your H-1B Cap-Subject Petition Please comply with the following to ensure that your petition is properly filed:
Note: It is your responsibility to ensure that Form I-129 is completed accurately. Failure to complete Form I-129 with the correct information and provide the required fees or documentation may result in the rejection or denial of the H-1B petition. Additionally, be sure to file the petition at the correct USCIS Service Center. See section below on “Where to Mail Your H-1B Cap-Subject Petition.” Additional Documents Required With Your Petition Labor Condition Application (LCA) You must submit a certified Department of Labor (DOL) LCA (Form ETA 9035) at the time of filing your petition. A copy of the LCA is acceptable. Note: USCIS encourages petitioners to keep DOL LCA processing times in mind when preparing the H-1B petition and plan accordingly. If the LCA certified by DOL is for multiple positions, you must provide the name and USCIS case receipt number of any alien who has previously utilized the LCA. Petitioners should ensure that they have signed the LCA prior to the LCA being submitted with the petition to USCIS. Please see Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification website for further information on the LCA process. Evidence of Beneficiary’s Educational Background You must submit evidence of the beneficiary’s educational degree at the time of filing. If all of the requirements for the degree have been met, but the degree has not yet been awarded, the following alternate evidence may be submitted:
If you are indicating that the beneficiary is qualified based on a combination of education and experience, please provide substantiating evidence at time of filing. A Duplicate Copy of the H-1B Petition You must submit a duplicate copy of your H-1B petition at the time of filing if the beneficiary will be seeking nonimmigrant visa issuance abroad. USCIS will not make a second copy if one is not provided. You may also choose to submit a duplicate copy of the petition, even if the beneficiary is requesting a change of status to H-1B or an extension of stay, in case the beneficiary later decides to seek visa issuance abroad or the H-1B petition is approved but the beneficiary’s concurrent change of status or extension of stay request is denied. You may review the Department of State website to make sure that the consulate indicated on Form I-129 is able to process the beneficiary’s nonimmigrant visa application and for any other consulate-specific special instructions. Multiple or Duplicative Filings On March 19, 2008, USCIS announced an interim final rule on H-1B visas to prohibit employers from filing multiple or duplicative H-1B visas for the same employee. To ensure fair and orderly distribution of available H-1B visas, USCIS will deny or revoke multiple or duplicative petitions filed by an employer for the same H-1B worker and will not refund the filing fees submitted with multiple or duplicative petitions. Where to Mail Your H-1B Cap-Subject Petition You must file your petition at the correct Service Center depending on the jurisdiction of the H-1B beneficiary’s work location(s) as specified in the petition. We have established specific mailing addresses for purposes of identification and processing of H-1B cap-subject cases. To determine which jurisdiction you are in, see our Web page Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker. Note: A separate mailing address has been established for certain types of educational or nonprofit organizations which file H-1B petitions on behalf of beneficiaries that are exempt from the H-1B numerical limitations. Please read the filing instructions very carefully. If you file your petition incorrectly, we will reject the petition. Rejected petitions will not retain a filing date. Required Fees There are different fees depending on the type of H-1B petition you are submitting. Please refer to H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement (pages 17-19 of Form I-129) for detailed instructions on fees. The following fees may be required with a cap-subject petition: Base filing fee:
American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA) fee: (see H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement, Part B):
Fraud Prevention and Detection fee:
Public Law 111-230:
Premium Processing fee:
Checks Make checks payable to the Department of Homeland Security or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, dated within the last 6-months, and include the proper guarantee amount and signature. Money Orders Money orders must be properly endorsed. Non-payable Checks or Other Financial Instruments USCIS will reject all applications or petitions submitted with the incorrect filing fee. Rejected petitions and petitions in which the check or other financial instrument used to pay the filing fee is returned as non-payable will not retain a filing date. See 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(i). While petitioners are generally provided the opportunity to correct a fee deficiency, pursuant to the regulations, the filing date is not established until and unless the fee deficiency has been corrected. H-1B cap-subject petitions with non-payable fees will be given a new filing date the day the fee deficiency has been corrected, as long as the cap has not been met. If the new filing date is after the cap has been met, the petition will be rejected. Premium Processing Service H-1B petitions are eligible for the Premium Processing Service. Petitioners may choose to file a Request for Premium Processing Service (Form I-907) to have their petition processed within 15 calendar days. To request premium processing submit:
You can file the Form I-907 and corresponding fee:
If filed after the Form I-129, be sure to include the receipt number (e.g., EAC 12 123 51234) of the Form I-129 in the pertinent section of Form I-907. Note: We will only accept the 08/10/09N (or later) edition of Form I-907. Please see the link to the right for more information concerning the Premium Processing program. Organizing your H-1B package Clearly label all H-1B cap cases, preferably in red ink, on the top margin of Form I-129. Use the following codes:
A separate check for each applicable filing fee (Form I-129, Premium Processing, Fraud Fee, ACWIA fee, and Public Law 111-230) is preferred. Applicable fees should be stapled to the bottom right corner of the top document. Preferred order of documents at time of submission:
How to mail multiple petitions together If multiple petitions will be included in the same courier service or Post Office package, please place individual petitions into separate envelopes within the package. Individual petition envelopes should be marked with the following labels to reference the type of petition:
Filing Tips: Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Representative If the petitioner will be represented by an attorney or other accredited representative, a properly executed Form G-28 should be submitted. Each Form G-28 should include the following:
Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
H Classification Supplement to Form I-129 (pages 11 and 12 of Form I-129)
H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Supplement form (pages 17 through 19 of Form I-129)
Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing
This page can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/h-1b_count Last updated:05/22/2012 Share this page | Bookmark this page The leading immigration law publisher - over 50000 pages of free information!
© Copyright 1995- American Immigration LLC, ILW.COM ![]() |