H-1B is the most common U.S. work visa and the status many people hold while their employment-based green card is in process. This page gathers our H-1B policy tracking, news, case write-ups and calculators.
Basic rules
- Cap: 85,000 new petitions a year, 20,000 of them for U.S. master's degree or higher; a lottery runs when demand exceeds the cap (USCIS). Universities and certain nonprofit research employers are cap-exempt.
- Duration: up to three years at a time, six years in total in general; extensions beyond six years are possible at certain green card stages. Check your dates with the H-1B max-out calculator.
- F-1 to H-1B: cap-gap can bridge OPT to the H-1B start date; see the cap-gap calculator.
- Layoffs: a grace period of up to 60 days generally applies; a proposal to remove it is tracked below.
Policy updates and articles
- 移民新闻After the Midterms: What Can and Can't Change for Green Cards, H-1B and OPT
- 移民新闻H-1B Extensions: DHS Proposes to End Deference to Your Prior Approval. Nothing Changes Yet
- 移民新闻H-1B $103,265 Fee Proposal: Comment Period Closed. Will It Hit Next Year's Lottery?
- 热点追踪H-1B Layoff Review Executive Order (EO 14431) Implementation Tracker
- 热点追踪H-1B $100,000 Entry Fee Litigation Tracker (Proclamation 11069)
- 热点追踪Ending the 60-Day Grace Period After an H-1B Layoff (RIN 1615-AD22) Tracker: Proposed Rule, Comment Period, Effective Date
- 热点追踪H-1B Reform Rule (RIN 1615-AD00) Tracker: Cap Exemptions, Violating Employers, Third-Party Placement
- 移民新闻H-1B Executive Order 14431 Targets Company Layoffs: What It Means for Extensions, Job Changes and Green Cards
- 移民新闻H-1B $100,000 Restriction Extended Another Year: Does It Affect People Already in the US Awaiting Green Cards?
- 案例解读H-4 EAD Timeline 2026: Premium Processing Speeds Up the H-1B, Not Your Spouse's Work Permit
- 案例解读H-1B Visa Stamping in China: Before You Go, Plan for What Happens If You Can't Get Back
- 移民新闻Why India Waits About 8 Years Longer Than China for the Same Green Card: H-1B Share vs. the 7% Cap
- 案例解读H-1B 60-Day Grace Period After a Layoff: When Does Day One Start? A Wrong Count Can Leave You Out of Status
- 移民新闻H-1B 60-Day Grace Period After a Layoff May Be Eliminated, and the Clock Runs for H-4 Spouses Too
- 移民新闻Proposed $103,265 Fee on Every Selected H-1B Cap Petition: What the Rule Text Actually Says
- 移民新闻FY 2027 H-1B Cap Reached: Both the Regular Cap and the Master's Cap Are Full
- 移民新闻H-1B and L-1 Extensions Now Owe the 9-11 Biometric Fee: DHS Final Rule Takes Effect September 9
This page is not legal advice
Layoffs, employer changes, visa stamping and RFEs all depend on your own history — have a lawyer review your documents.