US H-1B visa cap for 2025 reached. What should applicants do now?

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has said they have reached the limit on H 1B visa petitions for the upcoming 2025 financial year.

This includes 65,000 visas for regular applicants and an additional 20,000 reserved for US advanced degree holders.

“We will send non-selection notices to registrants through their online accounts over the next few days,” USCIS said in a statement.

“When we finish sending these non-selection notifications, the status for properly submitted registrations that we did not select for the FY 2025 H-1B numerical allocations will show: Not Selected: Not selected – not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration,” the statement said.

The USCIS said it will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap.

“Petitions filed for current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap, and who still retain their cap number, are exempt from the FY 2025 H-1B cap,” the statement said.

The USCIS said it will continue to accept and process petitions filed to:

Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States;

Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;

Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and

Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in additional H-1B positions.

What is H-1B visa?

The H-1B program applies to employers seeking to hire nonimmigrant aliens as workers in specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability, as per the US Department of Labor website.

A specialty occupation is one that requires the application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and the attainment of at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.