GOOD NEWS ! USCIS Announced Second Round Of H1-B Lottery
In march 2023, USCIS conducted an initial random selection on properly submitted electronic registrations for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 H-1 B cap including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption. Only those petitioners with selected registrations for FY 2024 are eligible to file H- 1B cap – subject petitions. The initial filing period for those with selected registrations for FY 2024 was From April 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023.
We recently determined that we would need to select additional registrations to reach the FY 2024 numerical allocations. soon, we will select additional registrations from previously submitted electronic registrations using a random selection process.We will anniunce once we have completed this second selection process and have notified all prospective petitioners with selected registrations from this round of selection that they are eligible to file an H- 1B cap – subject petition for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration.
Those with select registrations will have their myUSCIS accounts updated to include a selection notice, Which includes details of whwn and where to file.
Background of H1B Visa, Fiscal Year 2023 Season
Congress established the H1B Visa category to allow enterprises with a presence in the United States to hire highly qualified employees. Any person with applicable abilities and at least a bachelor’s degree can apply for an H1B visa to work in the United States. Because there is a strong demand for H1B visas, USCIS uses a random selection procedure known as the H1B lottery to pick applicants who fulfil the yearly quota cap.
USCIS Fiscal Year (FY) 2023: The USCIS fiscal year differs from the calendar year in that the start and end dates do not fall between January and December. The USCIS Fiscal Year 2023 begins on October 1, 2022 and concludes on September 30, 2023.
H1B Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Season: Around 6 months before the start of the fiscal year, USCIS accepts H1B petitions for the upcoming fiscal year 2023. Counting 6 months back from October 2022, it is now April 1st, 2022. This is why the process for FY 2023 begins in March and petitions are accepted beginning April 1st, 2022 for the FY 2023 season. The H1B FY 2023 season is for firms who want to hire H1B employees to work in the United States beginning October 1st, 2022.
H1B Visa Quota FY 2023 – Masters vs Regular Cap
The H1B visa is divided into two categories: ordinary quota and master’s quota. The US Congress has set a maximum of 85,000 H1B visas that can be issued per year. The ‘H1B quota cap’ refers to this limit. As of now, the annual quota caps for each of them are listed below, and they also apply to the H1B fiscal year 2023.
- H1B Regular Quota: 65,000 visas
- H1B Master’s Quota: 20,000 visas ( only US Masters eligible)
One thing to keep in mind is that as part of their Free Trade Agreement, Singapore and Chile have set aside approximately 6,800 visas. These 6,800 people are classified as H1B1. So, technically, the total figure for the H1B quota is fewer than 85,000 per year. However, in general, just a few hundred are consumed by Singapore and Chile.
Under the Obama administration, there were several proposals to raise the H1B cap for normal quota to 110,00 and master’s quota to 25,000, but nothing was passed by US Congress.
H1B FY 2023 Lottery Predictions
The H1B visa is one of the most sought-after visas for working in the United States. In recent years, USCIS has received more H1B applications than the minimum 85,000 every year. To handle high demand scenarios, USCIS created the notion of random selection, also known as the H1B Visa Lottery. USCIS normally picks the required number of applicants to meet the 85,000 quota in this H1B lottery process.
Looking the H1B cap reach dates from FY 2004 to 2022, we can observe that there was an H1B lottery for the last 9 years in a row. In the most recent fiscal year, FY 2022, 308,613 H1B lottery registrations were submitted.
Given the current trend, we do not anticipate a reduction in demand to prevent a lottery situation.
H1B 2023 Registration Process for Lottery
To be eligible for the H1B lottery, businesses had to deliver the whole H1B package, including the fee, H1B LCA, and supporting documentation. Employers and USCIS put in a lot of work, time, and money to handle this.
Starting with the H1B 2021 season, USCIS developed a registration mechanism to save everyone time and effort. The H1B registration process was successfully implemented and rolled out for the first time in fiscal year 2021. Employers do not mail the H1B Package under the new process; instead, they submit H1B registrations for their applicants using an online system.
The H1B registration fee is $10 USD per applicant, which must be paid by the employer. H1B sponsors/employers must register the applicant for whom they intend to file an H1B petition by filling out basic information about the application. The information required for each H1B application is listed below. They are not required to submit any more documentation.
- Legal Name of the H1B applicant – First, Middle and Family Name
- Gender of the applicant
- Option to select, if the applicant is eligible for US Masters H1B Quota
- Date of Birth
- Country of Birth
- Country of Citizenship
- Passport Number ( There is option to check, if there is no passport number too )
FAQs :-
Is there a second round of H-1B lottery 2023?
No H1B second lottery in FY 2023 The regulatory authority confirmed that the selected H1B registrations were sufficient to meet the H1B cap for the 2023 season, and that's why it was not needed to perform H1B second lottery 2023.
Will there be a second round H-1B lottery?
According to the latest statistics, only 40% of the selected applications were filed. This indicates the possibility of a second round of the lottery, potentially scheduled for late July, as reported by reliable sources (cited by Carnegie Evaluations).
Will there be a second H-1B lottery 2024?
USCIS may conduct a second lottery if the agency rejects enough registrations. USCIS selected 110,791 registrations for FY 2024, more than the 85,000 annual numerical limit, to allow for applications that are not approved.
What is the prediction for H-1B lottery 2024?
This year, we expect a similar trend as last year and the overall registrations may not reduce much. We predict that we may see anywhere from 550,000 to 600,000 H1B Registrations would likely be submitted for FY 2024 season.
How to check if H1B is selected in lottery 2023?
The employer or the attorney, who submitted the H1B registrations, can login to the USCIS H1B Registration online system and check the status of the H1B registration or lottery. Usually, they would get a notification in an email telling them that the some action was taken on their case.
What is the probability of getting H-1B visa 2023?
So the chances of selection are 85,000/780,884 = 10.89%.
How to check status of US visa lottery 2024?
Applicants who submitted an entry under the Diversity Visa 2024 green card lottery (DV-2024) can check the status of their application online starting on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at noon (EDT). The DV-2024 entry period opened on October 5, 2022, and closed on November 8, 2022.
When to apply for US lottery 2024?
The DV-2024 registration period opens on October 5, 2022, and closes on November 8, 2022 12:00 PM EST. DV-2024 Entrants should keep their confirmation number until at least September 30, 2024.
How long is H1B processing 2023?
H-1B Extension Processing Time 2023 For H1B extension processing time, it's taking about anywhere from 4 weeks to 5+ months depending on if RFEs are issued. To see the most up-to-date info, check the USCIS Processing Times tool.
