More than twice as many petitions for H-1B visas were filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services than there were visas available under the annual caps, the agency announced Thursday. The announcement reflects the strong demand for H-1B visas which go to skilled foreign temporary workers such as information technology specialists.

Approximately 172,500 petitions for H-1B visas were filed in the first week, according to USCIS. Annual caps limit the number of H-1B visas available to 65,000 plus 20,000 for workers with advanced degrees.

USCIS first announced the caps had been reached on April 7. However, Thursday’s announcement included the number of petitions received.

The USCIS is using a lottery to determine who will receive the visas.

The TechServe Alliance, a trade association of the IT and engineering staffing and solutions industry, reported in a press release on Wednesday that the large number of petitions for H-1B visas point to strong demand for such workers and the need to increase the caps.