The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received a whooping 250,000 H-1B work visa applications against the 85,000 cap for the fiscal year 2017 that begins on October 1, 2016.

The massive annual rush of HH-1B visas - with most of them being either from Indian IT companies or firms having huge base in India - is used predominantly by tech firms to bring skilled professionals to the country.

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Looking at this rush, the USCIS is working out a method for a computer-based random selection system to handpick the selected 85,000 visas. Out of 85,000 visas, 20,000 will be set aside for candidates who possess an advanced degree (master's or above) from a US university.

The USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions to be filed under the US advanced degree exemption for those who completed higher education in the US in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.

Indian IT companies with major investment interest in USA - particularly Infosys, Wipro, TCS - have been among the major applicants for the H-1B visas over the years. The H-1B rush has continued in the current fiscal year, irrespective of the fact that the raging debates in the US's ongoing presidential election on immigration, where, Republican candidate Donald Trump has adopted an extreme stand on immigrants.

The USCIS received close to 233,000 H-1B petitions last year, which in other word means that the agency on an average approved just one out of every three petition.

TagsH-1B work visas, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Infosys, Wipro, TCS, Indian IT companies