US - Over 18,000 H1-B visas still available

Over 18,000 H1-B visas still available

Washington: Once coveted by Indian techies, more than one fourth of the H1-B visas for skilled professionals are yet to be grabbed, with the US job market still to pick up as it recovers from its deepest recession in decades
By September 25 only about 46,700 of the H1-B visas in the general category were filled up against a Congressional mandated cap of 65,000, according to the latest update by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Thus, more than 18,000 H1-B visas are still to be filled up, even as the new financial year began on Thursday. The USCIS said it would continue to accept the petitions till the allocated quota is filled up. Further, even though it has received some 20,000 H1-B petitions in the high-education category, it would continue to receive application in this category too.