US begins accepting H-1B applications

US immigration authorities have started accepting applications for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2012. However, the acceptance of applications would be subject to the 65,000 cap for FY12 imposed by the Congress for the most sought-after visas.

"Cases will be considered accepted on the date USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Service) receives a properly filed petition, for which the correct fee has been submitted; not the date that the petition is postmarked," the USCIS said.

The cap would not be applicable for the first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals with US master's degrees or higher.

According to USCIS, it would monitor the number of H-1B petitions received and notify the public of the date when the numerical limit of the H-1B cap is met.

In the event of more petitions being received than it could accept, it might, on final receipt date, make a random selection from the petitions that would be considered for final inclusion within the cap, it added.

US businesses hire foreign workers in specialty occupations under the H-1B programme. Such workers include scientists, engineers and computer programmers amongst others. Software professionals from India have come to avail the maximum benefits from the H-1B visa regime.

According to the statement, USCIS would reject petitions that are subject to the cap and are not selected as also petitions received after it has exhausted the numbers under the cap.