USCIS Will Open Annual H-1B Lottery Registration March 1, 2022

On January 28, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the registration window for the fiscal year 2023 H-1B quota lottery will open March 1, 2022, at noon EST and will close March 18, 2022, at noon EST. During this period, employers (or their representatives) can electronically register each potential H-1B beneficiary through a myUSCIS online account. Registrants will be able to create new accounts starting February 21, 2022, at noon EST; however, registrants must wait until March 1, 2022, to enter beneficiary information and pay the $10 registration fee. Registrations for multiple beneficiaries can be submitted together.

If USCIS reaches the annual quota by March 18, 2022, USCIS will conduct a random lottery to select registrations and notify registrants of selection results by March 31, 2022.

The number of new H-1Bs available on an annual basis is limited to 65,000 per year with an additional 20,000 available to H-1B beneficiaries who possess advanced degrees from U.S. academic institutions and 6,800 reserved for citizens of Chile and Singapore. Demand is expected to exceed the available number of H-1Bs again this year, and with the registration window opening earlier than in years past, employers may want to consider planning ahead for potential registrations.

Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments with respect to these and other policy changes and will post updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available. Important information for employers is also available via the firm’s webinar and podcast programs.