Please see the attached memorandum released by the USCIS on Dec 10,09.
As of December 15, 2009, approximately 64,200 H-1B cap-subject petitions had been filed. USCIS has approved sufficient H-1B petitions for aliens with advanced degrees to meet the exemption of 20,000 from the fiscal year 2010 cap. Any H-1B petitions filed on behalf of an alien with an advanced degree will now count toward the general H-1B cap of 65,000.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2010. USCIS is hereby notifying the public that Dec. 21, 2009 is the “final receipt date” for new H-1B specialty occupation petitions requesting an employment start date in FY 2010.
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.
USCIS starts accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2012 cap on April 1, 2011. Cases will be considered accepted on the date USCIS receives a properly filed petition for which the correct fee has been submitted; not the date that the petition is postmarked.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions that are subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2012 cap. The agency began accepting these petitions on April 1, 2011.
USCIS is monitoring the number of petitions received that count toward the congressionally mandated annual H-1B cap of 65,000 and the 20,000 U.S. master’s degree or higher cap exemption.
These Questions & Answers address the automatic extension of F-1 student status in the United States for certain students with pending or approved H-1B petitions (indicating a request for change of status from F-1 to H-1B) for an employment start date of October 1, 2011 under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 H-1B cap.
Here is a question from clients.immigration.com, our clients-only extranet.:
Hi Rajiv
My husband has changed his job and his H1-B is being transferred. I am on H4 visa with valid stamp till 04/30/2012
My questions :
1. Do i have to also apply with him for H4 transfer ? Or should I be able to contd on valid status as my current H4 visa is valid ?
2. If I have to travel out of the country , can I travel with my current H4 visa stamp ? or should I have to re-stamp it with my husband's new I-797 for new company ?
As of April 15, 2011, USCIS has issued receipts on approximately 7,100 H-1B cap-subject petitions and 5,100 H-1B petitions for aliens with advanced degrees.
As of April 7, 2011, approximately 10,400 H-1B cap-subject petitions were receipted. Out of these 4,500 H-1B petitions are for aliens with advanced degrees.