United States: USCIS To Conduct Second Random Selection For FY2024 H-1B Cap Lottery

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that it will conduct a second random selection of the FY2024 H-1B quota registrations in order to reach the FY2024 numerical allocation for the H-1B quota. Similar to past years, the H-1B quota for FY2024 (October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024) will remain at 65,000 with an additional 20,000 for individuals who earned a U.S. Master's or higher degree. The initial random selection of the electronic registrations for the FY2024 H-1B quota was conducted in late March 2023. USCIS has not stated the number of additional registrations that will be selected. Additionally, the USCIS has not stated the number of FY2024 H-1B quota petitions approved to date.

USCIS previously posted registration and selection numbers for fiscal years 2021-2024 (as of April 24, 2023). For FY2021, the first year of the current H-1B quota registration process, USCIS conducted an additional section in August 2020. For FY2022, USCIS conducted two additional random selections on July 28, 2021 and November 19, 2021. For FY2023, an additional random selection did not occur. For FY2024, the USCIS selected the lowest number of entries since the implementation of the current H-1B quota registration process. Due to this low initial selection rate, the USCIS did not have sufficient H-1B quota filings to meet the statutory quota numbers. This has required the USCIS to complete at least one more random selection process based upon the previously submitted H-1B quota registrations.

USCIS has indicated that it will provide additional information once this second selection process is completed. After the second selection process is completed, employers with newly chosen registrations will have 90 days in which to file the eligible H-1B quota petitions. Notification of the newly selected registrations will occur in the myUSCIS account via an update to the filer's H-1B Registration List.

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