The Texas Service Center has begun processing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for H-1B petitions where the beneficiary has already been charged against the H-1B annual limit.  USCIS is now distributing the workload for H-1B adjudications among the Texas, California, Vermont, and Nebraska service centers. The location for filing is determined by the geographic location of the petitioner’s primary office.

Petitions that are exempt from the H-1B cap because the petitioner is a cap exempt entity will continue to be filed with the USCIS California Service Center. USCIS also clarified that petitions that are cap exempt based on a Conrad/Interested Government Agency (IGA) waiver under INA 214(l), or petitions where the employer is located in Guam or the beneficiary will be performing services in Guam must also be filed with the CSC.

Petitioners filing any of the above H-1B petitions should file their Form I-129 at the address indicated on the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker page. Starting July 19, 2019, USCIS may reject petitions filed at the wrong service center.