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USCIS to conduct lottery for H-1B visa
In 2022, Indians secured 77 percent of the 320,000 approved H-1B visas
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USCIS to conduct lottery for H-1B visa / US Visa service
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is gearing up to conduct a lottery to choose beneficiaries for H-1B visas, including the master’s cap for advanced US degree holders. This follows the closure of the initial H-1B sign-up period for the fiscal year 2025 on Mar. 25.
The USCIS extended the registration deadline for H-1B visas for FY 2025 by three days, from Mar. 22 to Mar. 25, due to a technical glitch.
The agency announced that it will notify all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries, indicating their eligibility to file an H-1B cap-subject petition. Due to the overwhelming demand for H-1B visas exceeding the annual limit of 85,000, the USCIS employs a lottery system to determine the beneficiaries. Companies submit more H-1B applications than the available slots, and the USCIS conducts a lottery to select the beneficiaries.
In recent years, Indian tech professionals have been predominant among the recipients of H-1B cap-subject visas, securing approximately 70 percent of the 85,000 visas available, including the 20,000 reserved for master’s degree holders from US institutions, as reported by Forbes.
In 2022, Indians secured 77 percent of the 320,000 approved H-1B visas. This year, the USCIS anticipates around 350,000 applicants, a decrease attributed to new measures against fraud. Last year, over 400,000 out of 759,000 registrations were duplicated.
The USCIS filing fee for beneficiaries on H-1B petitions will rise by 70 percent. In comparison, those on L-1 petitions will see a 201 percent increase, and individuals on O-1 petitions will face a 129 percent increase, according to reports.
Starting April 1, USCIS is changing the filing location for H-1B Form I-129 to a lockbox. This means that H-1B and H-1B1 (HSC) Form I-129 petitions must no longer be filed at the USCIS service centers. Instead, all paper-based petitions, including cap, non-cap, and cap-exempt H-1B filings, must be filed at USCIS lockbox locations.
Furthermore, USCIS implemented new online organizational accounts called 'MyUSCIS' on February 28, enabling multiple individuals within an organization, along with their legal representatives, to collaborate on and prepare H-1B registrations, petitions, and associated Form I-907.
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