The 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, DOD Cooperative Research and Development Project Workers, and Fashion Models. How USCIS Determines if an H-1B Petition is Subject to the FY 2011 Cap We use the information provided in Part C of the H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement (Form I-129, pages 14 through 15) 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. FY 2011 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. Petition Target This is the number of petitions that USCIS projects it will need for the cap to be met. 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 may be 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 2011 H-1B Cap-Subject Petition We will begin accepting H-1B petitions on April 1, 2010 that are subject to the FY 2011 cap. Petitions subject to the FY 2011 cap must request a start date on or after October 1, 2010, the first day of the fiscal year. You may file an H-1B petition no more than 6-months in advance of the requested start date.
Usually the majority of H-1B cap-subject petitions are filed at that time in order to obtain a new visa number for FY 2011. Note: If you request a start date for a FY 2011 cap-subject H-1B petition that is prior to Oct. 1, 2010 or submit a cap-subject petition prior to April 1, 2010, your petition will be rejected. How to Ensure USCIS Considers Your H-1B Cap-Subject Petition Properly Filed Please comply with the following to ensure that your petition is properly filed:
Original signatures, preferably in blue ink, are required on each form.
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. We will reject all H-1B petitions filed at the wrong location. 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 Department of Labor (DOL) certified 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, provide the name and USCIS case receipt number of any alien who has previously utilized it. Petitioners should ensure that they have signed the LCA prior to it being submitted. 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:
A Duplicate Copy of the H-1B Petition You must submit a duplicate copy of your H-1B petition at the time of filing only 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 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. 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. Where to Mail Your H-1B Cap-Subject Petition You must file your petition at the correct Service Center depending on your jurisdiction. 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 the link to the right for H-1B filing locations. 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 not counted against the H-1B numerical limitations. Please read the filing instructions very carefully. If you file your petition incorrectly, we will reject it. 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 Fee Exemption and/or Determination (page 14 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
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 adjudicated 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 10 123 51234) of the Form I-129 in the pertinent section of Form I-907. Note: We will accept the 08/28/06, 04/02/07, 07/30/07, and the 8/10/09 editions of Form I-907 through April 30, 2010. We will only accept the 08/10/09 edition of Form I-907 after April 30, 2010. 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, and/or ACWIA fee) is preferred. Applicable fees should be stapled to the bottom right corner of the top document. Preferred order of documents at time of submission
Tab items as listed in Table of Contents Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) if the beneficiary is in the U.S. SEVIS Form I-20 if the beneficiary is a current or former F-1 student or F-2 dependent SEVIS Form DS-2019 if the beneficiary is a current or former J-1 or J-2 Form I-566 if the beneficiary is a current A or G nonimmigrant DOL certified LCA, Form ETA 9035 Employer/attorney/representative letter(s) Other supporting documentation.
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
Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
H Classification Supplement to Form I-129 (pages 8 and 9 of Form I-129)
H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Supplement form (pages 13 through 15 of Form I-129)
Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing
|
Add new comment