H-1B Visa Numbers Reaching the Limit

Background

There is an annual limit on the number of H-1B petitions that can be approved during the government's 2006 fiscal year (beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006).  The H-1B cap for fiscal year 2006 is 65,000 (of which about 6,800 are reserved for nationals of Chile and Singapore under Free Trade Agreements with those countries).  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") began accepting petitions for FY 2006 as of April 1, 2005.

There is an additional quota of 20,000 H-1Bs which are reserved for persons who hold a Master's degree or a higher degree awarded by a United States college or university.  This additional quota of 20,000 H-1Bs is not in a danger of being reached at this time.