The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted an unprecedented third H-1B lottery to meet the limit for the financial year 2021-22. USCIS on Friday said it needs to pick additional registrations in order to meet the numerical cap including advanced degree exemptions. This is the first time that US immigration service was conducting a third lottery for the work visa.
“On November 19, we selected from among previously submitted electronic registrations using a random selection process. The petition filing period based on registrations selected on November 19 will begin on Nov. 22, 2021, and close on Feb. 23, 2022. Individuals with selected registrations will have their myUSCIS accounts updated to include a selection notice, which includes details about when and where to file,” the USCIS said in a statement.
This is unique as the USCIS receives enough applications after the first round of selections are done. The agency conducted a second round in July 2021 as it did not receive enough applications after the first lottery. Those selected for FY22 would eligible to work from October 2022. The immigration agency follows an October to September year. Every year, USCIS issues 65,000 new H-1B visas, with 20,000 more reserved for applicants who completed their Masters in the US.
For FY21 as well, a second lottery was conducted to meet the numerical limit shortly before the window for next year opened. The agency received 2,75,000 applications for FY21 out of which 67% were Indians.
“We conducted an initial selection in March 2021. The initial filing period for those with selected registrations for FY 2022 was from April 1, 2021, through June 30, 2021. Per regulation, we take into account historical data related to approvals, denials, revocations, and other relevant factors to calculate the number of registrations needed to meet the H-1B numerical allocations for a given fiscal year. Only those petitioners with selected registrations for FY 2022 are eligible to file H-1B cap subject petitions,” said USCIS.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. The US issues 85,000 H-1B visas annually, 70% of which are availed by Indian techies. The share of these visas to Indian companies has gone down in the last few years owing to stricter eligibility norms
