Registration Period for H-1B Visa Lottery to Open March 9th

Earlier today the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the registration period for this year’s H-1B visa lottery will open on March 9^th and run through March 25^th. Like last year, petitioners must create a myUSCIS online account to electronically register and pay the $10 registration fee for each beneficiary. Registration for multiple beneficiaries will be available. A random lottery will be held after the registration period closes. USCIS expects to notify selected applicants by March 31^st. Those applicants will then be able to file their complete H-1B petition.

DHS Delays Implementation of Wage-Based H-1B Visa Lottery

 Yesterday the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would delay the implementation of the Trump-era rule overhauling the H-1B visa lottery. The rule will transform the H-1B selection process from a random lottery into a wage-based system, prioritizing the highest earners for selection. It is now scheduled to go into effect on December 31, 2021, to allow time for the USCIS to develop, test, and implement the new system. This year’s H-1B selection will proceed as a random lottery, as in past years.

Please contact us with any questions about this year’s H-1B visa application process.