Is H1B lottery really random? (2023)

Is H1B purely random?

While candidates for the H1B visa are judged based on their credentials, education, and professional experience, every applicant is on even footing in the lottery. The lottery draws from the pool of approved H1B applications randomly, with a general cap and a cap for advanced degree petitions.

The algorithm is first run on a combined pool of applicants, and 65,000 regular slots are filled. Then, from the unselected masters applicants, the 20,000 advanced degree slots are filled. It is estimated that a masters degree earns 19 per cent more in the US, and they are also said to be more skilled and qualified.

During the H-1B Cap 2020 filing period USCIS received 201,011 H1B petitions (including registrants subject to the advanced degree exemption). In 2018 (fy 2019) 170,098 H1B visa petitions were approved, and 65,000 were allocated for the regular cap, resulting in a less than 38% chance of being selected for H1B visa.

How Difficult Is It To Get an H1B Visa? H1B visa requirements can be difficult to meet because you must first be hired by a U.S. employer who is willing to sponsor you. Competition for jobs in the United States is fierce, and demand for visas to enter the US grows daily.

Less than 1 out of every 2.4 H-1B cap registrations received by the USCIS during the H-1B cap registration period between March 9 and March 25, 2021, were selected in the H1B lottery 2022.

H1B lottery is nothing but a “random selection process” used to select the required number of H1B applicants from a larger pool of applicants. The lottery selection is done to select enough applicants to meet the H1B Cap of 65,000 for the Regular quota and 20,000 for Master's quota.

The O-1 visa is a good alternative for you if your application is not selected in the h1b lottery. If you think you have the required skills to get hired by a US employer and you qualify for an O-1 visa, you should apply for it instead of waiting.

Because of the large number of petitions submitted, USCIS uses a lottery to determine who will receive cap-subject H-1B status. However, if you are sponsored by an H-1B visa cap-exempt employer, there is no lottery and such employers can submit H-1B petitions all year long.

Is the H1B Lottery Really Random? The H-1B lottery is currently completely random. USCIS selects randomly from those that completed the H-1B registration accurately. Due to demand, USCIS randomly selects 85,000 registrations to be sent to processing.

How many H-1B applications received for 2022?

For FY 2022, we received 308,613 H-1B registrations and initially selected 87,500 registrations projected as needed to reach the FY 2022 numerical allocations.

Since H1B applications are accepted only once a year during the application window, it is important that all steps are followed correctly to avoid issues. In this article, we look specifically at the H-1B visa lottery and its role in the wider visa application process.

The short explanation for why companies don't sponsor H1b – or employment – visas is that they don't feel like they need to. Sponsoring an H1B visa requires extra effort on the company's part to collect data, work with lawyers and the government, and manage timing.

Last year there were three lottery rounds, so there is a strong likelihood of a second-round and possibly third round again this year. The second round gave newly selected employers from mid-August until mid-November to file petitions.

If you are picked in the lottery, USCIS informs your employer that your name was selected. They then provide instructions on how to apply for the H-1B visa, including filing a Labor Condition Application (LCA) and Form I-129.

The H-1B visa program is highly competitive, and there are more applicants than visas available each year. However, with persistence and luck, it is possible to be selected in subsequent rounds of the lottery. USCIS received a staggering 483,927 H1B registrations for the F.Y. 2023 Season.

The H-1B visa 2022-23 process is relatively straightforward when broken down. Under the regular cap, USCIS randomly selects 65,000 registrations by computer. USCIS will choose an additional 20,000 registrations under the advanced degree exemption.

Once an employer has gone through the various preliminary steps and then filed an H-1B case petition (on Form I-129), the processing is in the hands of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Some applicants have been known to receive approval in as few as 30 days, others wait much longer.

As you can see, H-1B salaries were lower than the “general” counterparts—significantly so, in many cases.

India. First of all, at the very top of the list of H1B visa holders in the USA, Indians are present in the highest numbers. With that in mind, in the fiscal year of 2017, the total number of beneficiaries was 276,423.

Can I file H1B with 2 employers?

The existing H-1B rule states that one employer can submit only one entry for a beneficiary into the H1B lottery. Multiple H-1B filings aren't allowed. Conversely, an H1B employee can have multiple job offers from different employers and more than one entry filed that way.

Yes, it is legally possible to have two full-time concurrent H1Bs and work on two full-time jobs from your home. But, the chances are low for second full-time H1B approval unless USCIS is satisfied that you can really work 80 hours per week.

Below are the next steps, after USCIS completes H1B Visa Lottery for the submitted registrations: USCIS notifies employers regarding registration selection results. Employers file H1B Petition with USCIS using H1B Registration Selection Notice. USCIS processes and adjudicates the H1B petitions.

An H-1B approval is employer-specific. It permits an H-1B status holder to work only for the employer that filed the petition. If you decide to change employers, the new employer must apply for the H-1B on your behalf.

For H1B visas, petitioning more than one time actually has an ADVERSE effect — it can hurt your chances at getting an H1B visa. Although the USCIS does not prevent multiple petitions, they are still aware of the amount of filing being done for a candidate, and more importantly if the same company is doing the filing.

Yes, H1B visa holders can change jobs and retain their H1B status.

The O-1 visa is a good alternative for you if your application is not selected in the h1b lottery. If you think you have the required skills to get hired by a US employer and you qualify for an O-1 visa, you should apply for it instead of waiting.