USCIS Announcement : The USCIS has recently announced the commencement of a second round of random lottery selection for H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2024, which spans to September 30, 2024.
In March of the same fiscal year, the (USCIS) already conducted the initial random selection process for properly submitted electronic registrations for the H-1B cap, which also included beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption.
USCIS Announcement & Petitions
It is important to note that only petitioners with selected registrations for FY 2024 are permitted to file H-1B cap-subject petitions. The initial filing period for those who received selected registrations was open from April through June 2023.
Beneficiaries who have been selected in the lottery will receive notification of their selection through updates to their accounts. This notification will provide them with essential information regarding the filing process, including when and where to submit their petitions.
The decision to conduct a second round of lottery selections for H-1B visas in fiscal year 2024 may have been prompted by efforts to address “fraudulent practices” observed in the past. These practices involved some American sponsoring entities collaborating to submit multiple H-1B cap registrations for the same beneficiary to increase their chances of winning in the lottery.
In the previous fiscal year, 2022, the US also resorted to holding multiple lotteries due to the low volumes of visa applications received from American sponsoring entities. This led to a second lottery taking place in July 2021, followed by another round in November 2021.
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