USCIS Completes the H-1B Cap Random Selection Process for FY 2019

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today completed its computer-generated random selection process to select enough H-1B petitions to meet annual cap for both “regular” cap cases as well as the U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year (FY) 2019. USCIS received 190,098 H-1B petitions (95,855 Master’s cap and 94,213 regular cap), including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. USCIS conducted the selection process for the master’s cap first. All unselected master’s cap petitions then became part of the random selection process for the 65,000 cap. USCIS will begin issuing receipt notices to notify petitioners whose cases were selected. After all of the receipt notices have been issued, USCIS will return the cases that were not selected.

USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed for current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap, and who still retain their cap number, will also not be counted towards the FY 2019 H-1B cap. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to:

* Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States;

* Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;

* Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and

* Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.