H1-B visa seekers face US lottery after cap reached in 5 days

A federal US agency has announced that it has received more petitions than the Congressional mandated quota on the most sought after work visas for IT professionals – the H-1B.

The Indian media quoting news agency PTI reported that the quota had been filled up in just five days and now, for the first time after 2008, a computerised draw of lots will decide the successful applicants.

Emirates 24|7 had reported that the number of H-1B visas issued by the US could double under a new Senate immigration proposal that would remove the cap on Green Cards, it is being reported. However, with the cap getting filled the report had stated that the lottery system would be in place. 

Now, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would no longer accept applications for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2014 beginning October 1, 2013, the Congressional mandated cap for which is 65,000 as it has received sufficient applications for this.

USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption.

"USCIS will use a computer-generated random selection process (commonly known as the "lottery") for all FY 2014 cap-subject petitions received through April 5, 2013," the statement said.

"The agency will conduct the selection process for advanced degree exemption petitions first.

All advanced degree petitions not selected will be part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit," the USCIS was quoted as saying.

Due to the high number of petitions received, USCIS is not yet able to announce the exact day of the random selection process.

USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap, the statement said.

According to the PTI report, the lottery for the H-1B cap was last used in April 2008, when the cap was filled on the first day itself.

Last year in 2012, it took 73 days for the USCIS to fill in the cap, while in took 235 days to receive applications to fill the 65,000 H-1B numbers in 2011; 300 days in 2010, and 264 days in 2009.

In 2008 and 2007 the caps were reached in the first few days.