USCIS announced that it has completed data entry of all fiscal year 2018 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in our computer-generated random process. USCIS will now begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected. Due to the high volume of filings, USCIS is unable to provide a definite time frame for returning these petitions.

USCIS received 199,000 H-1B petitions during the filing period, which began April 3, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. Last year USCIS received 236,000 H-1B petitions during the filing period including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption.

On April 11, USCIS used a computer-generated random selection process, or lottery, to select enough petitions to meet the 65,000 general-category cap and the 20,000 cap under the advanced degree exemption.

Shah and Kishore will immediately inform the sponsoring employer regarding the status of a filed petition by our firm.   Based on last year, we do not expect to know the status of all cases until at least the middle of May and onward.