Washington, July 30 (PTI): The slot of 20,000 H1B visas reserved for those who have master’s or higher degrees from American institutions has been exhausted for 2007, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has said.

H1B visas, availed in large numbers by Indians, allow US employers access to foreign professionals who have experience in specialised areas. The visa programme allows American companies and universities to employ foreign scientists, engin- eers and programmers in the US.

“USCIS will reject petitions requesting a foreign worker with a master’s or higher degree earned from a US institution of higher education that are received after the final receipt date unless the petition is otherwise eligible for a separate cap exemption,” the agency said in a statement. The final receipt date is July 26, 2006.

The USCIS has said the petitions that are rejected because the cap has been reached may be resubmitted later for fiscal 2008.

Petitions for current H1B workers do not count towards the Congressionally mandated cap.

Hence, the agency will continue to process petitions filed to: extend the period of time a current H1B worker may remain in the US, change the terms of employment for current H1B workers, allow current H1B workers to change employers and permit current H1B workers to work concurrently in a second H1B position.

The current annual cap on the H1B visas is 65,000 and a proposal to increase it to 115,000 along with annual increases is part of a Senate immigration reform bill.