US H-1B Visa: Employers need to assess their H-1B requirements for fiscal year FY 2025, as the US Citizenship and Immigration Services is anticipated to announce H-1B cap registration dates this month, with registration likely opening in early March.
Preparation is key to enhance the chances of selection and avoid last-minute issues. Over the past three years, USCIS has received registrations exceeding the 85K cap, with astounding 780K registrations during the FY 2024 period.
US H-1B Visa Updates
To prepare, employers should review the immigration status of current employees, consider potential needs for foreign national employees, and identify individuals for H-1B sponsorship.
The congressionally mandated quota includes 65K cap-subject H-1B visas, with 6.8K allocated as H-1B1 visas for nationals of Chile and Singapore. An additional 20K visas are available for foreign nationals with advanced degrees from US institutions.
Following the registration period, if USCIS receives more registrations than the cap allows, a random selection process will identify the potential 85K eligible candidates for H-1B petitions.
Unselected registrations remain submitted. If the initial filing period doesn’t meet the quota, a second lottery may occur, as happened in July 2023. Petitioners can file petitions only for selected H-1B beneficiaries. USCIS is expected to announce a 90-day filing window around April 1, this year.
Additional lotteries may prompt more filing periods. These proposed revisions aim to streamline and clarify H-1B visa regulations, aligning with changing employment dynamics.
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