Insights
Day Pitney remains committed to providing quality legal counsel, while protecting our clients and employees, and transforming our communities into more just, equal and equitable spaces. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 Resource Center | Racial Justice and Equity Task Force.
Employers rely on H-1B status to temporarily employ foreign workers in the U.S. in "specialty occupations," which are those positions for which a U.S. bachelor's degree or its equivalent is a requirement.
The number of H-1B petitions that may be approved in each fiscal year (which runs from October 1 to September 30) is capped at 65,000. Petitions for workers with advanced degrees from U.S. institutions are exempt from the regular 65,000 cap. Under the advanced degree exemption, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") can process a maximum of 20,000 petitions.
USCIS has reported that as of January 21, 2011, it had accepted 62,800 H-1B petitions for fiscal year 2011. USCIS has already received over 20,000 petitions for workers with advanced degrees from U.S. institutions and will continue to accept these petitions and count them toward the regular cap of 65,000 until that cap is reached.
Accordingly, employers that wish to apply for H-1B status for workers to begin work during fiscal year 2011 are encouraged to immediately file their petitions. Petitions foreclosed by this year's cap may be filed on April 1 for work dates beginning on October 1, 2011. Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance.
This website may use cookies, pixel tags and other passive tracking technologies, including Google Analytics, to improve functionality and performance. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. By using our website, you are consenting to our use of these tracking technologies. You can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse to accept cookies, but if you do so, it is possible that some areas of web sites that use cookies will not function properly when you view them. To learn more about how to delete and manage cookies, refer to the support instructions for each browser (e.g., see AllAboutCookies.org). You may locate Google Analytics' currently available opt-outs for the web here.
This website may use cookies, pixel tags and other passive tracking technologies, including Google Analytics, to improve functionality and performance. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. By using our website, you are consenting to our use of these tracking technologies. You can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse to accept cookies, but if you do so, it is possible that some areas of web sites that use cookies will not function properly when you view them. To learn more about how to delete and manage cookies, refer to the support instructions for each browser (e.g., see AllAboutCookies.org). You may locate Google Analytics' currently available opt-outs for the web here.
