USCIS Conducts Second Lottery for H-1B Visas Due to Unfilled Slots
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a second round of random selection for H-1B visa applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2025. This decision follows the initial lottery conducted in March, which selected eligible registrations for both the regular H-1B cap and the advanced degree exemption, commonly known as the master’s cap.
The second lottery is necessary because the number of petitions filed during the initial period did not meet the numerical allocation for the regular H-1B cap. This means there are still slots available, allowing additional registrations to be selected from the pool of previously submitted electronic registrations.
Who is Eligible?
The second round of selection will randomly choose additional registrations from those previously submitted. This includes both regular cap applicants and those eligible for the master’s cap. However, the master’s cap itself, which reserves 20,000 H-1B visas for foreign workers with a Master’s or higher degree from a US university, will not undergo a second selection as its slots have already been filled.
Understanding the H-1B Visa Program
The H-1B visa is an employment-based, non-immigrant visa category designed for temporary workers. It allows US companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, particularly in fields like science and information technology. Indian IT companies, such as TCS, Infosys, and Wipro, are major beneficiaries of this program, utilizing it to bring in thousands of employees with specialized skills annually. Out of the 85,000 H-1B visas issued each year, a significant portion is granted to Indian nationals.
How the H-1B Lottery System Works
The US government issues 85,000 H-1B work permits annually, with 65,000 allocated to individuals in specialty occupations and 20,000 reserved for those holding a Master’s or higher degree from US institutions. Employers wishing to hire H-1B workers must submit a registration detailing the employee’s qualifications, job role, and offered wage. Due to the high number of applications exceeding available visas, USCIS employs a randomized lottery system to select eligible applicants. This process is entirely random and does not consider factors such as wages, skills, or employer needs.
The second lottery provides a new opportunity for those not selected in the initial round, offering a chance to fill the remaining regular cap slots for FY 2025