USCIS has completed the H1B lottery to select enough petitions to meet the annual H1B Cap of 65,000 under the general category, and 20,000 under the U.S. advanced degree exemption category (popularly known as the “H1B Masters Cap”).
H1B Visa 2018 Lottery Highlights
- USCIS received 190,098 H1B petitions [i.e. 8,902 petitions less than last year] during the 2018 H1B Cap filing period that began on April 2, 2018.
- USCIS conducted the H1B 2018 lottery on April 11, 2018.
- The H1B lottery was conducted for petitions filed under the H1B advanced degree exemption first. All unselected H1B Masters Cap petitions then became part of the H1B lottery for the 65,000 H1B cap.
- USCIS has temporarily suspended premium processing for H1B Cap petitions.
NOTE: This is an indication of the increased scrutiny and nervous state of the U.S. employers under Trump administration.
For cap-subject petitions not selected in the lottery, USCIS will reject and return the petitions with filing fees, unless it is found to be a duplicate filing.
USCIS has not indicated the date by when Receipt Notices would be issued to petitioners whose H1B cap petitions were successful in the lottery. We will continue to monitor developments related to the 2018 H1B Cap filings and keep our readers informed.
You can utilize H1B visa alternatives and get a brief overview of a number of available options by checking out What Would You Do If the H1B Cap is Reached?
Manas Bhat, Director Operations, First Houston Mortgage India
