April 1 marked the beginning of the 2013-2014 H1-B Application Period. Beginning April 1 each year, USCIS begins accepting applications for H1-B employment visas. Each year there are 65,000 H1-B visas available, plus and addition 20,000 open to applicants with higher degrees (Masters or higher).

In the past few years, it has been interesting to see how quickly the H1-B cap has been reached. During the peak of the US economic recession, it took 6 months or longer for the cap to be filled. In fiscal year 2012, the cap was reached in November 2011 and last year for fiscal year 2013 it was reached in June 2012.

This year, USCIS predicts that the cap will be reached by April 5! This is good news for the US economy, showing that employers are more interested and willing to higher foreign workers with confidence in the lasting power of their positions. It is bad news however, for many applications that will not be able to get an H1-B visa this year.

There are many changes on the table for the H1-B program now that comprehensive immigration reform has been tasked to Congress. Maybe next year, there will be more H1-B visas available to all the qualified applicants. Stay tuned and good luck to all the applicants!