Today’s blog update brings you the latest news and details on the H-1B Lottery.
The H-1B visa is the workhorse of nonimmigrant visa categories authorizing accountants, IT professionals, architects, designers, business/operations analysts, doctors, engineers, researchers, lawyers, teachers, and many other professionals to work in the United States.
The H-1B lottery is held every year for those employed in a specialty profession role (a position that requires a bachelor’s or higher degree in a related academic field) to deliver the opportunity to work in H-1B status.
The lottery allows the government to randomly distribute the limited number (85,000) of H-1B visas to around 300,000 annual lottery registrants.
In 2021, there was a 27.8 percent possibility of securing a selection via the H-1B lottery. By this fact, it is wise to register for the H-1B lottery at the first opportunity, even though the employee’s work permission might not expire for two years or more.
The H-1B visa lottery operates as follows:
- Using an online registration system, companies will enter their workers in a lottery held between March 1 – 18.
- Candidates will be chosen at the end of March. There will then be a 90-day window for employers to file H-1B petitions for employees elected in the H-1B lottery.
Consider the following foreign national employees:
(1) workers who were not chosen in previous lotteries; (2) workers who are now working abroad; (3) workers in F-1 student statuses operating OPT, STEM OPT, or CPT work permission; (4) workers in TN, E-3, or a dependent to a principal visa holder (H-4, L-2, E-3D, etc.) working on EAD; and ultimately, (5) workers who you might consider for green card sponsorship in the future.
What is the H-1B Registration Timeline?
In February: Work with the legal team, foreign national applicants, and company stakeholders to provide the highest possible case strategy.
On February 21: Petitioners and registrants can start creating H-1B registrant accounts.
On March 1 – 18: H-1B registration period whereby registrants can finish and submit for the H-1B lottery.
On March 31: Date by which USCIS plans to inform selected registrants.
On October 1: The earliest possible opening date for a successful H-1B petition (if your registration was selected and the petition approved).
This is the end of today’s blog update. We hope you found this blog useful. Please don’t forget to support us by subscribing to our newsletter and sharing this blog with your friends and family on Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter.
