Whether Trump likes it or not, US will begin accepting H1B work visa applications from April 1

The US will start taking H-1B applications from April 1, a move that may or may not be liked by US presidential front runner Donald Trump.

The process is as usual and there is no amendment in the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 on H-1B visas for FY 2017, beginning October 1.

In a statement, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said this year it expects to receive more than 65,000 petitions during the first five business days of this year's program.

The first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed for individuals with a US Master's degree or higher are exempt from the 65,000 cap.

"If USCIS receives an excess of petitions during the first five business days, the agency will use a computer-generated lottery system to randomly select the number of petitions required to meet the cap," the official statement said.

Trump has often criticised the H1-B visa programme, saying it is snatching jobs away from the Americans. He has even vowed to get jobs back from Indians and Chinese, in one his speeches.

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