On June 12, 2012, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that as of June 11, 2012, the agency has received more than enough applications for new H-1B visas for the 2013 fiscal year. This includes the normal 65,000 quota (also called a "cap") and the additional 20,000 quota for persons who have an advanced degree (more than a bachelor degree) from a U.S. university. The H-1B is a temporary work status used by U.S. employers for hiring foreign nationals to perform jobs that require a bachelor degree or higher (professionals), and the employer must prove it will pay the employee the same or more than a similar worker for a comparable job in the geographic location. The government's fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, until Sept. 30. H-1B applications can be filed up to six months before Oct. 1. For more on H-1B visas, see the Clark Hill website .
Persons who have been issued an H-1B under a previous cap, for work with a private employer, and have not used all of their time on an H-1B (generally limited to six years), and persons who work for or in furtherance of a U.S. university or research organization, are exempt from the H-1B cap. Persons whom wish to apply for an H-1B visa under the fiscal year 2014 cap may apply beginning April 1, 2013, for a start date in H-1B status of Oct. 1, 2013.