NewsFlash! The H1B Cap Has Been Reached
Posted Feb 18, 2004

The USCIS announced on February 17, 2004, that the H1B Cap has been reached for fiscal year (FY) 2004. All petitions that fall under the cap that are received after the close of business on February 17, 2004, will be rejected. This means that all fees will be returned, along with the petitions. The USCIS will begin accepting cases that will fall under the FY2005 cap on April 1, 2004. These applications should request a start date of October 1, 2004, or later.

We will provide a more in-depth analysis of how this announcement affects students and others in our February 20, 2004 edition of the Murthy- Bulletin. This article will also be made available on MurthyDotCom. As a reminder, not all cases are subject to the cap. See our September 12, 2003, article, H1B Cap for Fiscal Year 2004 for more details on who is subject to the cap.