For each fiscal year, there are only 85,000 new (or “cap-subject”) H-1Bs available: 65,000 for foreign nationals with a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent education) from a U.S. or foreign college or university and an additional 20,000 for foreign nationals with a graduate degree from a U.S. college or university.
On March 27, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) randomly selected lottery winners from the H-1B lottery registrations received for fiscal year 2024. USCIS will accept H-1B petitions for these registration selections from April 1 to June 30, 2023.
Registrants’ online accounts will now show one of the following statuses for each submitted registration:
- Selected: Selected to file an H-1B cap petition
- Submitted: Not selected to file an H-1B cap petition
- Denied: Multiple registrations were submitted by or on behalf of the same registrant for the same beneficiary
- Invalidated-Failed Payment: A registration was submitted, but the payment method was declined, not reconciled, disputed, or otherwise invalid
Options available for employees not selected in the H-1B lottery
For H-1B registrations not selected, employers should consider the alternative options available.