Employers who need to apply for H-1B visas for foreign workers in specialized skill areas should start getting ready. U.S. businesses typically use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, such as science, engineering or computer programming.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 cap on Friday April 1, 2013.