On April 1, 2014, USCIS will begin accepting new H-1B visa petitions for an employment start date of October 1, 2014.  We expect a repeat of 2013, where the H-1B cap was reached during the first week of filing because the demand for these visas exceeded their availability and USCIS conducted a lottery.  Once the cap is reached, employers are unable to file new cap-subject H-1B petitions until April 1, 2015.  We strongly advise clients and readers to make H-1B sponsorship decisions by March 1^st so that the petitions can be ready for filing before April 1^st.  Each petition requires a certification by DOL that must be filed at least fifteen days before April 1^st. For additional information, click here.