I've been monitoring H-1B numbers each month and have noted a rather dramatic jump in filings over the last few months. At the current pace, the 65,000 H-1B numbers in the main category could be gone in January (the 20,000 H-1Bs for advance degree holders was used up at the beginning of the entry period).
Watch how the month by month numbers change:
April 27th - 45,000
May 29th - 45,800
June 26th - 44,800 (likely adjusted downward due to rejections of petitions filed near the April 1st filing deadline)
July 24th - 44,900
August 28th - 45,100
September 25th - 46,700
October 25th - 52,800
As you can see, usage has gone from just a couple of hundred a month to about 1500 a week. It is very possible that there was some pent up demand because as of October 1st, applicants can start work right away rather after approval of a petition. So we'll need to see what next month brings. But it is very possible that improvements in the economy are showing up in the visa numbers and if you're thinking about filing an H-1B, you probably should get moving.
