U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) appears to have completed the lottery selection for the H-1B registration period for fiscal year (FY) 2023. If a registration was selected by USCIS, then the H-1B registrant’s online account will indicate a status of “Selected,” and a selected H-1B registrant may file their H-1B petition with USCIS beginning April 1, 2022.
As background, 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 US or foreign college or university and an additional 20,000 for foreign nationals with a graduate degree from a US college or university.
When the demand for new cap-subject H-1Bs exceeds the numerical quota, USCIS conducts a random H-1B selection process or “lottery.” FY 2023 marks the third year USCIS has utilized a registration process to conduct the H-1B lottery.
It is possible USCIS may conduct a subsequent registration selection process if a sufficient number of “Selected” H-1B applicants ultimately do not file their H-1B petition with USCIS, or USCIS otherwise deems a second selection process is warranted. For the prior fiscal year, USCIS ran subsequent registration selections on July 28, 2021 and November 19, 2021.
For H-1B registrations not selected, employers may want to consider other immigration options.