H-1B visa applications cap out in just five days

Enlarge / The Chet Holifield Federal Building in Laguna Niguel, California. Tens of thousands of visa applications were delivered to the building last week, which is home to one of several USCIS service centers.

Last Monday, the government began accepting applications for H-1B visas that are often granted to foreign tech workers. Trucks full of thick Fedex applications lined up before dawn to get their applications in.

By Friday, the door was shut. US Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) said on Friday that they have already maxed out, hitting the limit of 65,000 H-1B visas set by Congress and an additional 20,000 visas that are reserved for applicants who have master's degrees. It's the fifth year in a row that the cap has been met within five days.

Some H-1B employers aren't subject to the visa cap, including universities and some nonprofits.

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