H1B Visa applications reach its maximum limit for 2018-19 fiscal year

Washington : The number of H1B Visa applications has reached its maximum limit for the fiscal year 2018-19, said USCIS. “USCIS has reached the congressionally-mandated 65,000 H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2019,” read a press release from USCIS.

Additionally it also marked that the governing body has received the sufficient number of advanced degree exemption applications to fill the 20,000 visas left aside for this category, popularly known as the Master’s Cap.

USCIS will now reject all the application which crosses the maximum mark and their amount will be refunded. However, no refund will be initiated for the applications which will be found duplicate.

We will temporarily suspend premium processing for all FY 2019 cap-subject petitions, including petitions seeking an exemption for individuals with a US master’s degree or higher. This suspension is expected to last until Sept. 10, 2018.

“Petitions filed for current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap, and who still retain their cap number, will also not be counted toward the FY 2019 H-1B cap,” said the release

It will keep accepting applications for extension in time of current H1B visa holders, change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers, allow current H-1B workers to change employers, and allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.