The quick pace may prompt Congress to act on new legislation to appease the tech industry and its demands for access to foreign workers. It has several options, including some that do not include a controversial direct cap increase.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced Monday that the cap of 85,000 H-1B visas was met on Monday, just two months after the start of petition submissions on April 1. The federal government's fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

The list below shows how quickly the cap was reached in recent years. The government starts accepting petitions each year on April 1.

FY 2013, cap reached: June 11, 2012.

FY 2012, cap reached: Nov. 22, 2011.