The H-1B Lottery Process is Changing This Year: Here’s What You Need to Know
When the demand for H-1B work visas exceeds the annual cap, typically set at 85,000, a lottery is conducted to randomly select applicants who will be eligible to apply for the visa. Instead of submitting a complete H-1B petition upfront, employers first register their prospective H-1B employees electronically during a designated registration period.
If you’re registering for the H-1B lottery this cap season as a foreign worker, or you’re a U.S. employer sponsoring prospective H-1B employees, here are three important things you need to know:
1. The initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap opened at 12PM Eastern Time on March 6, 2024, and will run through 12 PM Eastern Time on March 22, 2024.
2. Starting this year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will require a valid passport or travel document for all prospective H-1B applicants going through the electronic registration process. All registrants will need to provide passport or travel document information at the time of registration.
3. Starting this year, all employers and their prospective H-1B employees will need to have a shared “myUSCIS organizational account” to participate in the H-1B electronic registration process. Organizational accounts will allow multiple people within the same company or organization to prepare and collaborate on H-1B lottery registrations, petitions, and premium processing. You can learn more about how to create an organizational account and answers to frequently asked questions in USCIS’ guide.
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