new H-1B numbers from USCIS

Yesterday (April 9), USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) released its updated H1B petition filings count for the 2010 fiscal year. USCIS reports that it has received approximately 42,000 H-1B petitions counting towards the 65,000 standard H-1B quota. The agency also announced that it has received approximately 20,000 petitions for holders of advanced degrees. While only 20,000 advanced degree cases are exempt from the standard cap, USCIS will nevertheless continue to accept new cases, given the likelihood that some will be rejected or denied.

USCIS also announced that the 15-day premium processing clock started running on April 7 for petitions that were received during the initial five-day filing window. For petitions received after April 7, the 15-day premium processing clock will start on the day USCIS receives the petition.

H-1B cap . . . 2009 filings for fy 2010

It appears that the H-1B cap for U.S. Master's filings was not exceeded. USCIS has started sending out receipt notifications for Master's filings.

Update:

USCIS Update
April 8, 2009
USCIS Continues to Accept FY 2010 H-1B Petitions

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant visa petitions subject to the fiscal year 2010 (FY 2010) cap. USCIS will continue to monitor the number of H-1B petitions received for both the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 U.S. master’s degree or higher educational exemption cap. Should USCIS receive the necessary number of petitions to meet the respective caps, it will issue an update to advise the public that, as of a certain date (the "final receipt date"), the respective FY 2010 H-1B caps have been met. The final receipt date will be based on the date USCIS physically receives the petition, not the date that the petition is postmarked. The date or dates USCIS informs the public that the respective caps have been reached may differ from the actual final receipt date.

To ensure a fair system, USCIS may randomly select the number of petitions equired to reach the numerical limit from the petitions received as of the final receipt date. USCIS will reject cap subject petitions that are not selected, as well as those received after the final receipt date.

Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers, who have been counted previously against the cap, will not count toward the congressionally mandated FY 2010 H-1B cap. Therefore, USCIS will continue to process petitions filed to:

• Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States.
• Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers.
• Allow current H-1B workers to change employers.
• Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.

H-1B in General U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.

– USCIS –