The US Citizenship and Immigration Services would accept petitions for the H-1B work visas on the first five working days beginning April 1.

However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services facilitation centres would extend the date if it does not receive adequate number of applications to meet its annual Congressional-mandated cap of 65,000.

"We will continue to accept the petition, if we do not have the right number to meet the cap, after the first five business days from April 1 to April 7," USCIS spokeswoman Chris Rhatigan told PTI.

The USCIS last week had announced changes in the application form related to H-1B visa, in view of the restrictions imposed in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which prohibits hiring of people with H-1B visas by companies receiving federal aid money.

The USCIS asserted that this would not result in procession of the application. "We are committed to ensure all the employers - all those who submit the petition - to clear as expeditiously as possible, and give them feed back weather the petition has been approved or not," Rhatigan said.