<p>Until further guidance is issued, USCIS is temporarily applying interim procedures to H-1B non-profit entity petitions filed with the agency seeking an exemption from the statutory H-1B numerical cap based on an affiliation with or relation to an institution of higher education, an official announcement said.<br /><br />Effective immediately, during this interim period USCIS will give deference to prior determinations made since June 6, 2006, that a non-profit entity is related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education – absent any significant change in circumstances or clear error in the prior adjudication – and, therefore, exempt from the H-1B statutory cap.<br /><br />"However, the burden remains on the petitioner to show that its organisation previously received approvals of its request for H-1B cap exemption as a non-profit entity that is related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education," USCIS said.<br /><br />Petitioners may satisfy this burden by providing USCIS with evidence such as a copy of the previously approved cap-exempt petition and the previously issued applicable I-797 approval notice issued by USCIS since June 6, 2006, and any documentation that was submitted in support of the claimed cap exemption.<br /><br />Furthermore, USCIS suggests that petitioners include a statement attesting that their organisation was approved as cap-exempt since June 6, 2006, the statement said.<br />These measures will only remain in place on an interim basis. USCIS will engage the public on any forthcoming guidance, USCIS emphasised.<br /><br />As mandated by the Congress, USCIS can only issue 65,000 H-1B visas; besides an additional 20,000 for those having US master's degrees or higher are exempt from this cap.</p>
<p>Until further guidance is issued, USCIS is temporarily applying interim procedures to H-1B non-profit entity petitions filed with the agency seeking an exemption from the statutory H-1B numerical cap based on an affiliation with or relation to an institution of higher education, an official announcement said.<br /><br />Effective immediately, during this interim period USCIS will give deference to prior determinations made since June 6, 2006, that a non-profit entity is related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education – absent any significant change in circumstances or clear error in the prior adjudication – and, therefore, exempt from the H-1B statutory cap.<br /><br />"However, the burden remains on the petitioner to show that its organisation previously received approvals of its request for H-1B cap exemption as a non-profit entity that is related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education," USCIS said.<br /><br />Petitioners may satisfy this burden by providing USCIS with evidence such as a copy of the previously approved cap-exempt petition and the previously issued applicable I-797 approval notice issued by USCIS since June 6, 2006, and any documentation that was submitted in support of the claimed cap exemption.<br /><br />Furthermore, USCIS suggests that petitioners include a statement attesting that their organisation was approved as cap-exempt since June 6, 2006, the statement said.<br />These measures will only remain in place on an interim basis. USCIS will engage the public on any forthcoming guidance, USCIS emphasised.<br /><br />As mandated by the Congress, USCIS can only issue 65,000 H-1B visas; besides an additional 20,000 for those having US master's degrees or higher are exempt from this cap.</p>