U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will take the fiscal year 2023 H-1B cap registrations at noon Eastern on March 1, 2022. This initial registration period will close at noon Eastern on March 18, 2022. Please note – all prospective petitioners and/or their representatives must have a myUSCIS account to complete and submit their registrations. New H-1B registrants can create a myUSCIS account today, February 21st. I cannot stress this enough – if you plan on entering the H-1B lottery, you must create an account – or have one created for you.
Tips for Your Account
I have a couple of tips for new H-1B registrants as well as for those with existing myUSCIS accounts.
- Register as soon as possible. Do not put this off until the last day. This is an online registration system using technology. We all know that technology has the potential to be glitchy. If there is a glitch and you do not register, you will be out of luck.
- Do not submit more than one entry into the lottery. If you think that multiple entries for the same employer/employee pair will increase your odds for selection, it won’t. USCIS will know and this strategy will backfire on you.
- Don’t register if the job doesn’t meet H-1B qualifications. Even if you get picked in the lottery, USCIS will ultimately deny your application. As a result, you will not receive your H-1B visa.
- Pay the $10 H-1B registration fee!
H-1B Basics
The H-1B program allows United Stated employers to temporarily employ international workers. The workers must fill jobs that are specialty occupations. Also, the worker must have a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty related to the offered position. H-1B specialty occupations include fields such as architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts. H-1B visas are good for a period of up to three years with a possible extension to a total of six years.
If USCIS receives enough registrations by March 18, they will randomly select registrations. Next, they will send selection notifications to the myUSCIS accounts of registrants or their representatives. As of now, these notifications will be sent on March 31.
It is important for employers to carefully execute the registration process. Failure to do so may disqualify the selection of your beneficiaries. I am happy to discuss the process with you. So, please call me if you need help or if you have other immigration law questions.
