The H-1B visa filing season for fiscal year 2020 begins on April 1, 2019 and ends on April 5, 2019. Demand for new H-1B visas usually exceeds the annual limit of 85,000 visas during this period, requiring a lottery to select cases. To apply for an H-1B visa, individuals and companies must file cases during the April 1-5 window, or else they will have to wait until April 2021. NPZ Law Group is preparing cases to file at the start of this period and encourages interested parties to contact them immediately to begin the application process.

1. H-1B Filing Season on the Horizon: NPZ's Quick Glance on the Process for
the H-1B Visa Applicants
The first day a new H-1B case can be filed is Monday, April 1, 2019. The law requires that the
government keep the filing window open until Friday, April 5, 2019. As such, it is imperative
that all new H-1B cases are filed no earlier than April 1, 2019 and no later than April 5,
2019.
The H-1B visa is the most frequently obtained work permit for corporate employees. It is
available to U.S. employers wishing to hire a foreign employee in a specialty occupation.
The law defines a specialty occupation as an occupation that normally requires a minimum of a
U.S. bachelor’s degree, or its foreign equivalent, in a field related to the occupation. The
government allows for work experience to count as the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
Congress has allocated 65,000 new H-1B visas for foreign workers with at least a bachelor’s
degree or its equivalent, plus another 20,000 new H-1B visas for foreign workers with at least a
master’s degree from a U.S. university, for a total of 85,000 new H-1B visas. Those 85,000 new
H-1B visas do not include individuals who already have H-1B visas and who are either
extending their H-1B time or transferring their H-1B to another employer.
In recent years, demand for new H-1B visas in the first five business days of April has exceeded
the 85,000 visas available. As such, it is imperative that all new H-1B cases are filed no
earlier than April 1, 2019 and no later than April 5, 2019. If more than 85,000 H-1B cases are
filed during the first five business days of April, the government conducts a lottery to select the
cases it will process to ensure the 85,000 H-1B visas are used, and returns the H-1B cases that
are not selected for processing.
The lottery is a two-step process. This year, the government will first select the cases for the
65,000 visas for foreign workers with at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent (including
those with at least a U.S. earned master's degree). The government will then select the cases for
the additional 20,000 visas reserved for only those foreign workers with at least a master’s
degree from a U.S. university.
We are preparing H-1B cases to file at the opening of the filing window on April 1, 2019. Since
persons who miss this year’s filing window will have to wait until April 1,2020 (a year later) to
file a new H-1B case, it is imperative that all new H-1B cases are filed no earlier than April
1, 2019 and no later than April 5, 2019. Therefore, an individual or company considering an
H-1B case should contact our office immediately to begin the process.
One of the most established firms practicing exclusively in the area of immigration law, our firm
has successfully helped our clients obtain temporary work permits, green cards, and citizenship

2. for generations. For additional information on obtaining an H-1B visa or information regarding
other immigration matters, please contact the undersigned.
For more information about the H-1B non-immigrant visa classification, please feel free to reach
out to the U.S. Immigration and Nationality lawyers at NPZ Law Group at info@visaserve.com
In the alternative, please visit our website at http://www.visaserve.com or call us at 201-670-
0006 (ext. 107).