There is an annual limit on the number of H-1B visas that can be issued each fiscal year to persons subject to the H-1B cap (primarily first-time H-1B beneficiaries) – approximately 65,000 in the general category and 20,000 limited to persons with U.S. master's or more-advanced degrees.

On April 2, 2012, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service began accepting H-1B Petition filings for the 2013 Fiscal Year (which begins on October 1, 2012). The USCIS has reported that the usage of H-1B cap numbers is significantly greater for fiscal year 2013 than for the prior two fiscal years. As of April 4, 2012, the USCIS announced unofficially that a total of 22,323 cap-subject H-1B Petitions had been filed. Approximately 25 percent of those (5,000) were filed for individuals with advanced degrees.