190,098 H-1b cap cases filed
The USCIS has announced that it received 190,098 H-1b cap filings this year. This represents a 16% decrease from FY 2017 but, only a 5% decrease from last year. Many of us (shows what we know) were expecting a larger decrease. We are speculating that the announcement of the elimination of the H-4 EAD program prompted many additional filings that appear to have off-set the decline due to the Trump administration policies aimed at restricting the H-1b program. The USCIS also announced that it has completed the lottery selection process which means that receipts for those lucky few should be distributed soon. Last year, receipts arrived over a 6 week period and rejections started to be received in late June and July.