Important:
H-1B Lottery Registration Opens for Fiscal Year 2025 March 6 at 12 p.m. EST! Be sure to register as early as possible to ensure your registration process goes smoothly.
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, generally set at 85,000, a lottery is conducted to randomly select candidates who will be eligible to apply for the visa. Instead of submitting a complete H-1B petition in advance, employers first enroll their prospective H-1B employees electronically during a designated enrollment period.
If you are entering the H-1B lottery this season as a foreign worker, or if you are a U.S. employer sponsoring potential 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 12 p.m. Eastern Time onMarch 6, 2024 and will continue until noon Eastern Time on March 22, 2024..
2. Starting this year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will require a valid passport or travel document for all potential H-1B applicants going through the electronic registration process. All registrants will be required to provide their passport or travel document information at the time of registration.
3. Starting this year, all employers and their prospective H-1B employees will be required to have a shared “myUSCIS organizational account” to participate in the H-1B electronic registration process. Organizational accounts will allow multiple individuals within the same company or organization to prepare and collaborate on H-1B lottery registrations, petitions, and award processing. You can learn more about creating an organizational account and answers to frequently asked questions in The USCIS Guide.
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We’ve covered everything you need to know about the H-1B lottery process here.