A blog about U.S. immigration matters by Paul Szeto, a former INS attorney and an experienced immigration lawyer. We serve clients in all U.S. states and overseas countries. (All information is not legal advice and is subject to change without prior notice.)

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Friday, January 27, 2023

H-1B CAP Registration Begins 3/1/2023

 


Today, USCIS announced the H-1B annual cap registration schedule for FY 2024.  The registration period will run from March 1 to March 17.  If sufficient number of registrations are received by March 17, USCIS will close the registration window and move on to the lottery phase.  Employers may start registering their user account on February 21.  The results of the H-1B visa lottery will be released on or before March 31.  The following is the approximate application timeline.  Interested employers and applicants should start the preparation now. 


Application Timeline

 

Timeline­*


What to Do or Expect

January – Early March

 Late February

  •  H-1B employers/attorneys can start creating USCIS accounts starting noon EST on 2/21/2023.

Early March – Mid March

  • Employers recognize attorney’s representation (if any) in USCIS system
  • Complete H-1B Registration online
  • Noon EST on March 1 - noon EST March 17, 2023

 

Mid-March – End of March

  • USCIS to conduct visa lottery and send out notifications to selected applicants by March 31, 2023

 April to June

  • Submit complete H-1B petition with LCA to USCIS (for first batch of the selected applications)

 April and onward

Mid-August

  • USCIS may conduct a 2nd H-1B lottery to use up any leftover visa numbers

 Mid-August – Mid-November

  • Submit complete H-1B petition with LCA for candidates selected in the 2nd lottery to USCIS

 October and onwards

  • USCIS continues to adjudicate throughout this time
  • Change of Status Employees may start working in H-1B status upon approval starting October 1
  • Consular Processing Employees can obtain H-1B visa upon approval to enter the U.S. 

* Part of the timeline is estimated based on previous year's schedule.


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