H1-B Lottery Process 2024-2025 Guide (2024)

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H-1B Visa

H1-B Lottery Process 2024-2025 Guide (13)

Read All About the H1-B Lottery Process 2024-2025

Must-Know Facts About the H1-B Lottery Process 2024-2025

  • Attention all applicants: The H-1B visa initial registration period is quickly approaching! Mark your calendars for March 6 to March 22, 2024. You can submit your initial registrations for just $10 during this time. Please note that following the H-1B visa lottery for the 2024-2025 season, the registration fee will increase significantly to $215 starting in April 2024. Don’t miss this opportunity to register at the current fee rate. Prepare your applications early and stay ahead of the changes!

  • New Beneficiary-Centric Selection: From now on, registrations will be chosen based on individual beneficiaries. This means that no matter how many registrations are submitted, each beneficiary will have an equal opportunity to be selected

  • Breaking news : USCIS has announced that they have reached the numerical limit for H-1B visas for fiscal year 2025, including the cap for those with a master’s degree or higher. Employers who have had their H-1B applications selected now have until June 30, 2024, to submit their H-1B cap petitions.

A non-US foreign national applying for an H1B visa to work in the USA takes his/her opportunity with the H1B visa lottery each year. H1B petitions are submitted only once a year during the application window. Therefore, it is significant that all measures are followed correctly to avoid problems. The H1-B Visa applicant’s sponsor submits a registration for the employee during the annual registration window in April. The registration requires only a detailed summary of the applicant. The lottery is one of many phases in the H1B application procedure.

The H1B visa lottery process is a complex and often confusing system for those seeking to work in the United States. It is an important part of the immigration process, as it allows employers to hire foreign workers with specialized skills and knowledge. This essay will discuss the process of the H1B visa lottery, including the application process, the selection criteria, and the potential outcomes.

H1b Lottery Application Process

The H1B visa lottery process begins with the employer filing a petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This petition must include a detailed description of the job duties, salary, and other relevant information. Once the petition is approved, the employer can then submit an application to the USCIS for the H1B visa lottery. The application must include a list of potential candidates, along with their qualifications and experience. Once the application is approved, the USCIS will randomly select a certain number of applicants to receive an H1B visa.

The Selection Criteria of the H1b Lottery Process

The USCIS uses a variety of criteria to determine which applicants will be selected for the H1B visa lottery. These criteria include education level, work experience, and other factors. The USCIS also considers the employer’s need for a foreign worker with specialized skills and knowledge. Additionally, the USCIS may consider the applicant’s ability to contribute to the U.S. economy and job market.

How Does The H-1B Visa Lottery Process Work

The annual registrations made during the registration window generally far surpass the annual cap level and the number of vacant visas. The window remains open to registrations for the declared period, even after the cap has been exceeded. The selection process is not on a first-come, first-served basis. When the registration window is closed, USCIS takes out the H-1B visa lottery to specify which registrations will be brought to the next stage. This is a spontaneous selection procedure of registrations accepted during the open window.

Lottery selections are filtered at random and are not specified by when registration was accepted, nor is there any assessment of the merit of the registration. Once the 65,000 H1B cap has been filled, 20,000 requests will be randomly chosen from the Masters Cap application. Any of the 20,000 that are not appointed will return to the regular cap.

Read Also: Last leg of H1B cap season 2023

Successful petitions are then notified and asked to fulfil their full H-1B request within the given deadline, which is commonly 90 days from the announcement. Selection in the visa lottery does not ensure the visa will be granted to the worker. The application will be evaluated against the visa requirements and eligibility standards.

How To Increase Your H1B Lottery Chances?

There are a few strategies to improve your H-1B lottery odds. The most evident way to improve your odds is to qualify for the master’s level (or higher) cap exemption. Being in the master’s degree cap-exemption pool boosts your likelihood of at least a few percentage points. Don’t file your request after the cap is achieved because you cannot obtain an H-1B visa for the 2024–2025 fiscal year.

To increase your H-1B lottery chances, you must quickly submit your application and all-important papers. If you hesitate and miss the current window, your chances will be zero.

Follow the below steps to ensure you are avoiding any possible uncertainties or problems in the lottery selection process:

  • Ensure all application information and documents have been given and the exact fees have been paid.
  • Never send in your H1B petition before the opening period of the request window in April.
  • Apply as soon as the window opens.
  • Ensure you have the mandatory degree or specialist knowledge to meet the eligibility for the job.
  • Make sure that the job is eligible for an H1B visa.
  • Don’t send many applications for one job. It will be rejected if an employer makes numerous or duplicated H1B applications for a single employee. If USCIS accepts multiple applications from a single employer for one job, they will deny them both. Two applications submitted by the candidate will eliminate your H-1B lottery chances in 2025

How to Check Your H-1B Lottery Results?

Discovering whether you were chosen in the H-1B lottery can be achieved through several methods. Below are the steps to verify your lottery status :

  • There are some ways to check out if you were selected in the H-1B Lottery Process. Below are the steps to verify your lottery status
  • One of the simplest methods involves checking if USCIS has processed your H-1B application fee payment. If your petition is not selected, the fee will be refunded. Thus, if USCIS successfully cashed your check, your application was chosen.
  • An alternative approach is to check whether your employer has received a 13-digit receipt number sent to them after selecting your petition. If they have yet to receive this number, you were not set. Once you have obtained your 13-digit number, you can use the USCIS Case Status Tool Online to enter the case number and view its status.
  • Immigration and Naturalization Services issues all lottery winners a stamped I-797 Form, signifying their selection in the lottery.
  • If you have applied as a nonimmigrant student in the advanced degree pool, you can monitor your application status by accessing the Student and Exchange Visitor Information (SEVIS) website. This website is consistently updated to reflect the selection of winners.
    • Suppose you are an F1 student who has earned a degree in one of the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, math). In that case, your employer is registered in E-Verify, and you were initially granted post-completion OPT based on your STEM degree. You are eligible to request a 24-month extension of your employment authorization.

Understanding Your Status on the USCIS Portal

Once you access the USCIS case status online tool, your case number will be accompanied by one of the following statuses. Here’s what each status signifies:

  • Submitted: If the term ‘submitted’ is visible, your application is still under consideration by USCIS, and this status may persist until the end of the fiscal year. Please note that your case has yet to be accepted or approved.
  • Selected: Congratulations on being selected in the lottery! Now it’s time to celebrate, as your sponsor must file the I-129 petition after April 1, 2024. To streamline the registration process for USCIS, there might be staggered filing deadlines for individuals chosen in the lottery. Please pay close attention to the filing deadlines specified in your file to ensure a smooth process.
  • Not Selected: unfortunately, you have not been selected, and this status will persist until the conclusion of the fiscal year (October 1, 2024).
  • Denied: If your sponsor submits multiple registrations for the same beneficiary, you will encounter this situation.

Starting from March 17, 2024, all registrations will initially show as “submitted.” Some of these registrations will later switch to either “selected” or “denied,” while others will continue to be “submitted.” If USCIS requires additional registrations to fill the cap for the fiscal year, they will choose more registrations from the “submitted” pool. However, by October 1, 2024, the remaining “submitted” rosters will be updated to “not selected.”

Current H1B Filling Fee- 2024-25 :

We will keep you informed about any H-1B filing fee updates. However, it is advisable to seek advice from your immigration lawyer to determine the optimal approach for your situation. The law of Prashanthi Reddy, PLLC, offers highly competitive filing fees, including responses to RFEs. Please refer to this page for a comprehensive breakdown of their H-1B attorney fees.

FeeAmountResponsible for Fee
Registration Fee$10Employer
Premium Processing (optional)$2,500Employer or Employe
Public Law 114-113 Fee$4,000Employer
Basic Filing Fee$460Employer
USCIS Anti-Fraud Fee$500Employer
ACWIA Education and Training Fee$750 (less than 25 employees)
$1,500 (more than 25 employees)
Employer
Attorney FeeVariableEmployer

Please be aware that the Public Law fee is applicable solely to employers with more than fifty employees, and at least half of those employees must be H-1B holders in order for the fee to be enforced.

If you are successful in the H-1B lottery Process

If selected in the H-1B visa lottery, you will be notified and asked to file your H-1B cap petition. To do this, your employer must submit a Labour Condition Application form ETA-9035 (LCA) to the United States Department of Labour for certification. This LCA is an important document that must be filled out correctly and accurately to ensure your H-1B petition is accepted. It contains essential information about the type of job you will be doing, the wages you will be paid, and the working conditions you will be subject to. Once the LCA is certified, your employer can file the H-1B petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. After the petition is filed, you will be notified of the decision and whether or not you have been approved for an H-1B visa.

The LCA should indicate the employer’s commitment to:

  • We want to make sure that you are fairly compensated for the position so that we will pay you at least the standard wage paid to other employees with your qualifications, or if it’s more than the usual wage, we will pay you the typical salary for this role in the local area.
  • We promise to offer a work environment that is not detrimental to other employees like you and that there will be no strikes or lockouts when the Labour Condition Application is submitted.

Once certified, your employer must submit an I-129 Non-immigrant Worker Petition form and the certified LCA to the appropriate USCIS Service Centre. Upon approval of the Petition form, you can apply for your visa through DS-160, the Online Non-immigrant Visa Application system. You must schedule an interview at the nearest US Embassy or Consulate.

H-1B Cap Lottery 2024-2025 Explained :

The H-1B visa lottery is a system utilized by the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to randomly select applicants when the number of H-1B visa petitions surpasses the annual limit. Each year, there are a total of 85,000 visas available, categorized into two groups: 65,000 visas for the regular cap and 20,000 visas for individuals with advanced degrees from U.S. educational institutions.

Initially, a lottery is conducted for the 20,000 visas designated for advanced degree holders from U.S. institutions. Applicants not chosen in this initial lottery are then included in the regular cap lottery. After the master’s cap lottery, the regular cap lottery is conducted for the remaining 65,000 visas. This encompasses advanced degree candidates not selected in the first round and all other applicants.

For the 2024-2025 lottery, the registration window for the H-1B lottery will be open from noon E.S.T. on March 6th through noon E.S.T. on March 25th, 2024. Beginning at noon E.S.T. on February 28th, 2024, employers and their attorneys/representatives can create new accounts on the new USCIS online system for H-1B lottery registrations.

If you’re planning to file H-1B cap-subject petitions for the fiscal year 2024-2025 cap, you need to follow a couple of steps. Firstly, you must electronically register. After registration, you’ll be required to pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee. Please note that this fee will increase to $215 when the USCIS fee adjustments take effect on April 1, 2024, following the initial FY 2025 H-1B cap registration period.

This also applies to individuals who qualify for the advanced degree exemption. Each employer is limited to submitting only one entry per H-1B employee. Should their submission be chosen, the employer must confirm their commitment to filing a comprehensive H-1B petition.

Read Also Complete Guide to H1B Visa 2024

H1B Visa Requirements

The H1B visa is a great way for US businesses and organisations to access highly skilled foreign nationals. To be eligible for an H1B visa, applicants must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a speciality occupation, such as engineering, medicine, or IT. Additionally, the applicant must possess the necessary skills, knowledge, or experience to perform the job duties. Furthermore, the employer must provide evidence that the position requires a highly skilled foreign national and that there are no qualified US workers available to fill the position. Finally, the employer must provide a valid job offer and salary that meets the prevailing wage rate. With these requirements in place, the H1B visa is a great way for US businesses and organisations to access the talent they need.

The H1B visa is a type of visa that allows foreign nationals to work in the United States in a specialty occupation. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a specialty occupation is defined as one that requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty. Examples of specialty occupations include engineering, medicine, mathematics, computing, architecture, and the sciences. The job must also require a level of expertise and knowledge that is typically associated with a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty.

Read Also – H1-B Lottery Predictions for H1-B Cap Season 2024

Are you eligible for an H1B visa? It all depends on if you have an offer of employment in a suitable role from a US employer and if you meet at least one of the following conditions :

1- Do you have a Bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited US institution in the relevant field of speciality?
2- Or do you possess an equivalent foreign degree in this same speciality occupation?
3- Are you authorized to practice and be employed in the speciality occupation in the state where the employment is located?
4- Do you have either education, training, or experience that is equivalent to a degree and also recognized as having an appropriate level of expertise in the field?

There are also H1B eligibility requirements for the job that you wish to be employed in. At least one of the following must apply:

1- To get this job, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher, or an equivalent qualification and relevant experience.
2- For this role, having a degree is the industry standard, or the job is too complex or specialised to be done without a degree.
3- The employer insists on a degree or equivalent for anyone they recruit.
4- The duties in this job are too intricate and specialised to be done without the knowledge that usually comes with a bachelor’s or higher degree.

Alternatives of H1B Visa :

If your H1B petition is not successful, look into alternatives like the L1 visa for intracompany worker roles or the O1 visa if you have extraordinary ability or achievement in science, art, education, sports, or business. What works best for you depends on your situation.

H1B Lottery Process- How The Law Offices of Prashanthi Reddy, PLLC Can help

Our experienced US immigration lawyers can help make sure your H1B visa application is filled out correctly, the right paperwork is put together, and the process is handled successfully. As legal experts, we can also discuss alternative visa options in light of the competitive H1B Visa Lottery. Contact us to discuss your H-1B visa requirements. If you have any questions about the H1B visa or work visa, email me directly at prashanthi@reddyesq.com or call us at (212) 354-1010. Our team of US immigration lawyers and We would be happy to help you get your H1B visa.As Well new York, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, and California .. My team of US immigration lawyers and I would be happy to help you get your H1B visa.

This article is here to provide you with helpful information, not legal advice.

Published On: March 1st, 2023 / Categories: H-1B Visa /

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H1-B Lottery Process 2024-2025 Guide (2024)

FAQs

Will there be a second lottery for H-1B 2024? ›

The United States has announced that a second lottery selection process will be conducted for H-1B applications for the fiscal year 2025. This decision aims to meet the regular cap numerical allocation for the year, offering another chance for applicants who were not selected in the initial lottery held in March 2024.

What are the odds of winning the H-1B lottery in 2025? ›

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that 114,017 registrations for H-1B visas were selected from approximately 442,000 submissions to begin work in fiscal year (FY) 2025. The agency selected about 26 percent of those who registered to meet the annual H-1B visa quota of 85,000.

What is the H-1B process for 2024? ›

Beginning on April 1, 2024, all paper-filed Form I-129 petitions requesting H-1B1 (HSC), or H-1B classification, including those with a concurrent Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, and those with concurrently filed Form I-539 and/or Form I-765, must be filed at a USCIS lockbox facility.

What are the chances of getting selected for H-1B lottery 2024? ›

Based on our analysis, the overall odds of selection in the 2024 H-1B visa lottery were approximately 10%, a noticeable decrease from the previous year.

How many people applied for H-1B 2024? ›

Total Submitted

USCIS received a total of 780,884 (approximately 781K) H1B Registrations for the FY 2024 season.

When to apply for US lottery 2024? ›

DV-2024 Program: The online registration period for the DV-2024 Program begins on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and concludes on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5).

How many H-1B will be picked every year? ›

Since the category was created in 1990, Congress has limited the number of H-1Bs made available each year. The current annual statutory cap is 65,000 visas, with 20,000 additional visas for foreign professionals who graduate with a master's degree or doctorate from a U.S. institution of higher learning (Figure 1).

How many times can you enter H-1B lottery? ›

Implementation of a beneficiary-centric H-1B registration selection process whereby each beneficiary (employee) may only be selected once in each lottery, as opposed to past lotteries which allowed a beneficiary to be selected multiple times if multiple employers submitted registrations for the same beneficiary.

How many H-1B applications are filed for 2025? ›

H-1B Electronic Registration Process
Cap Fiscal YearTotal RegistrationsEligible Registrations*
2022308,613301,447
2023483,927474,421
2024780,884758,994
2025479,953470,342
1 more row

What is the minimum wage for H-1B in 2024? ›

The general threshold for an H1B is an annual salary of $60,000. This minimum requirement applies regardless of your occupation, work location, and job level. However, the actual prevailing wage for your job position could be higher than this amount.

How long do you have to be on H-1B to get green card? ›

After living and working in the USA for at least 5 years, but before his or her H1B status expires, a skilled foreign worker can start the process to apply for a Green Card.

Is there a second lottery for H-1B 2025? ›

USCIS Completes Second H-1B Registration Lottery for FY 2025.

How to increase H-1B chances? ›

9 Tips To Increase Your Chance Of Getting An H-1B Visa
  1. Be Ready to File the Petition ASAP. ...
  2. Submit Proof of Employer Being Reliable. ...
  3. Don't Pay Your Own Fee. ...
  4. File With Multiple Employers. ...
  5. Find an H-1B Cap-exempt Job. ...
  6. Match Your Qualification to Your Job. ...
  7. Double Check All Information. ...
  8. Invest in an Attorney.

Is H-1B purely luck? ›

The H-1B lottery is currently wholly random. USCIS selects randomly from those who completed the H-1B registration accurately. Due to demand, USCIS randomly selects 85,000 registrations to be sent to processing.

Is H-1B lottery finished? ›

This year's H-1B lottery selections were conducted over a span of five days and concluded on April 1, 2024, when USCIS announced that it had received enough electronic registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period.

What is the timeline for h1b visa? ›

USCIS takes 15 days to adjudicate plus mailing time for Approval Notice; a total of approximately 5 weeks. Employee has to obtain visa and travel to U.S., that takes approximately one month (longer if a background check is initiated). That means: You should send us your request 2 1/2 - 3 months ahead of time.

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