2/2/2008 - USCIS Announces Centralized Filing for Cap-Exempt H-1B Petitions
In an effort to streamline the filing process for H-1B petitions which are exempt from the 65,000 general numerical limitation for H-1Bs (and the additional 20,000 cap for U.S. Master's degree applicant H-1B cases), U.S. Citizenship and immigration Services has announced a new centralized filing procedure for these cases.
Cap-exempt cases are being accepted at a new centralized filing address at the California Service Center as of February 1, although for the time being cap-exempt filings will still be accepted at the Vermont Service Center and forwarded to California. It is expected that a more formal set of Service filing instructions will soon be announced insisting that all cap-exempt filings be made to the California location.
It is too early to tell, although it is possible that the new process could speed case processing for cap-exempt H-1B filings - or at least cut down on erroneous Service rejections of these cases when first sent in by mail room employees insufficiently trained on how to recognize a cap-exempt case.
Cap-exempt H-1B employers, and their potential H-1B new-hire foreign nationals.