The CIS sets aside 20,000 H-1B visas per year for foreign workers who have earned a master's degree or higher from a United States institution of higher education. This year, the CIS announced that it had received enough H-1B petitions to meet this 2008 master's cap on April 30, 2007. Those petitions received after April 30, 2007 were returned un-filed to the petitioners. New master's cap petitions may be accepted beginning April 1, 2008 for fiscal year 2009. The United States' fiscal year begins October 1 of each year.

Click here to view CIS Announcement dated 5-4-07

By Martha James