As H-1B cap subject petition receipt notices begin to trickle in, and employers are being notified as to whether their foreign employees will obtain an H-1B visa this cap season, it is a necessity to think about other viable options to continue to maintain and even grow your international workforce.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it had received 201,011 H-1B petitions during the filing period, which began April 1, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. USCIS received approximately 10,000 more H-1B cap subject petitions this year than last, and the obvious demand for H-1B visas remain. Each fiscal year, 65,000 H-1B visas are available with an additional 20,000 H-1B visas available for individuals holding a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. university.