USCIS to Begin Accepting Cap-Subject H1B Petitions for the FY-2018 Cap on April 3, 2017

On March 15, 2017, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will begin accepting H1B petitions subject to the FY-2018 cap on April 3, 2017 [link]. Any H1B cap-subject H1B petitions for the FY-2018 cap filed before April 3, 2017, will be rejected.

The USCIS recently announced that premium processing for H1B petitions will be suspended effective April 3, 2017, and that the suspension may remain in place for up to six months. Please see our full post to learn more about what the suspension of premium processing for H1B petitions means [see article].

The USCIS notes that the filing fee for the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker has increased to $460 [see article]. Furthermore, it explains that petitioners will no longer have 14 days to correct a dishonored payment. If any filing fee payments are not honored by the bank or financial institution, the USCIS will reject the entire H1B petition without providing the petitioner with the option of correcting the payment.

Petitioners seeking to file H1B Form I-129 petitions should refer to the Form M-735, Optional Checklist for Form I-129 H-1B Filings [PDF version] to learn how to complete the Form I-129 for a FY-2018 H1B petition. A petitioner seeking to file an H1B petition should always consult with an experienced immigration attorney for guidance throughout the complicated process.