On December 7, 2010, the USCIS updated its count of FY2011 cap-subject H-1B petitions and advanced degree cap-exempt petitions receipted.

As of 12/03/10, approximately 51,200 H-1B cap-subject petitions were receipted against the annual quota of 65,000.

USCIS has receipted 18,700 H-1B petitions for aliens with advanced degrees from U.S. institutions against the separate quota of 20,000.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has announced that beginning January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico will process visas differently. Under the new procedures, most applicants will go to Applicant Service Centers (ASCs) prior to their consular interview, which will collect the applicant's biometric information to be reviewed by the consular section prior to the applicant's interview.

ASCs will be located in buildings separate from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates.

The new process will provide several advantages to applicants:

• Total visa application costs will go down. Currently, applicants pay three separate fees - one to obtain information and schedule the appointment, another for the visa application, and a third for courier service. Beginning in January 2011, applicants will pay only one application fee. The current application fee will remain the same: US$140 for a tourist application, US$150 for petition-based cases (including temporary worker visas), and US$390 for treaty trader and investor visas.
• Many applicants who are renewing their visas will no longer require an interview with a consular officer. These applicants can simply visit the nearest ASC to submit application documents and provide fingerprints.
• Because the collection of biometric information will take place at the ASC, applicants who are required to visit both the ASC and the consular section should spend less time at the consular section than they have had to in the past.
• Applicants at the U.S. Consulates in Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey, and Nuevo Laredo will no longer pay a US$26 surcharge.