The U.S. received twice as many H-1B visa petitions as it can give out under its 85,000 visa cap, and is thus distributing the visas via lottery. In total, the U.S. received about 172,500 applications for H-1B visas -- that carry a 65,000 base cap and another cap of 20,000 for those who earned a master's degree or higher in the U.S., the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service said today. The visas picked in the lottery can be used in the 2015 federal fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.