2023 H1B Lottery Timeline: H-1B Lottery 2023-24 Registration
The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Every year, there is a cap on the number of H-1B visas available, which is currently set at 85,000. Out of these, 20,000 are reserved for applicants with a U.S. master’s degree or higher.
To apply for an H-1B visa for the fiscal year 2023 (which starts on October 1, 2022), prospective petitioners and beneficiaries must follow a two-step process: first, they must register online and pay a $10 fee; second, if selected in the lottery, they must file a complete petition with supporting documents and fees.
How to Register for the H-1B Lottery 2023
The online registration period for the H-1B lottery 2023 opened on March 1, 2022 and closed on March 18, 2022. During this period, prospective petitioners (employers or their authorized representatives) had to submit basic information about themselves and each beneficiary (worker) they wanted to sponsor. They also had to pay a $10 fee for each registration.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) then randomly selected registrations from the pool to reach the cap for each category (regular and advanced degree). The selection process was completed on March 29, 2022.
How to Check the H-1B Lottery Results 2023
The USCIS notified registrants of their selection status by email or through their online account by March 31, 2022. The status could be one of the following:
- Selected: The registration was selected in the lottery and the petitioner can file an H-1B petition for the beneficiary within the specified filing period.
- Not Selected: The registration was not selected in the lottery and the petitioner cannot file an H-1B petition for the beneficiary based on this registration.
- Denied: The registration was invalid or duplicate and was rejected by USCIS.
- Submitted: The registration was submitted but not yet selected or denied.
Registrants who were not selected in the initial round may still have a chance to be selected later if USCIS does not receive enough petitions to fill up the cap. In that case, USCIS will conduct additional rounds of selection from the remaining registrations until April 30.
How to File an H-1B Petition After Selection
Petitioners who were notified of their selection had to file a complete H-1B petition with USCIS within a designated filing period of at least 90 days starting from April 1. The filing period may vary depending on when USCIS notifies registrants of their selection.
The petition must include Form I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker), Form I-129H Supplement (H Classification Supplement), Form I-129HAC Supplement (H Classification Supplemental Attestation), Form I-907 (Request for Premium Processing Service) if applicable, supporting documents such as evidence of beneficiary’s qualifications and employer’s need for specialty occupation worker, and required fees such as filing fee ($460), fraud prevention and detection fee ($500), American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act fee ($750 or $1500 depending on employer size), optional premium processing fee ($2500), and optional public law fee ($4000) if applicable.
Petitioners should file their petitions as soon as possible after receiving notification of selection because USCIS will reject any petitions received after June 30. Petitioners should also keep track of their receipt numbers and case status online or by phone.
Conclusion
The H-1B lottery is a competitive process that requires careful planning and preparation by both employers and workers who wish to obtain this visa category. By following the timeline and steps outlined above, prospective petitioners and beneficiaries can increase their chances of success in securing an H-1B visa for fiscal year 2023.
