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In March 2024, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted an initial random selection on properly submitted electronic registrations for the fiscal year 2025 H-1B cap, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption.
Only those petitioners with selected registrations for FY 2025 are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions during the filing period on their registration selection notice. The initial filing period for those with selected registrations for FY 2025 was from 1 April until 30 June 2024.
USCIS recently determined that it would need to select additional registrations for unique beneficiaries to reach the FY 2025 regular cap numerical allocation.
Soon, USCIS will select additional registrations for unique beneficiaries from previously submitted electronic registrations using a random selection process, and will notify prospective petitioners with selected registrations from this second round of selection that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration. USCIS will announce when it has completed this second process of selections and notifications.
USCIS will not be conducting a second selection for the advanced degree exemption (the master’s cap), as enough master’s cap registrations were already selected and sufficient petitions were received based on those registrations as projected to meet the FY 2025 masters cap numerical allocation.
The second round of selection for the regular cap will include previously submitted registrations that indicated eligibility for the master’s cap along with those that indicated only eligibility for the regular cap.
Those with selected registrations will have their USCIS online accounts updated to include a selection notice, which includes details of when and where to file.
The United States’ H-1B program applies to employers seeking to hire nonimmigrants as workers in specialty occupations. A specialty occupation is one that requires the application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and the attainment of at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
The H-1B classification has an annual numerical limit (cap) of 65,000 new statuses/visas each fiscal year. An additional 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a master’s degree or higher from a US institution of higher education are exempt from the cap.
H-1B specialty occupation workers can live and work in the United States for a period of up to 3 years.
If you need advice or guidance relating to US immigration including H-1B applications, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters is here to help. To speak to a member of the team, please contact us today.
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USCIS announced on August 6, 2024 that it completed the second H-1B cap lottery for fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B cap. All employers with selected registrations have been notified. Employers with selected registrations from the second lottery may file an H-1B petition for the beneficiary of a selected registration during the 90-day period from August 8, 2024 to November 7, 2024.
USCIS did not conduct a second selection for the advanced degree exemption (the master’s cap).
USCIS has reported that during the registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap, it saw a significant decrease from FY 2024 in the total number of registrations submitted and, more importantly, in the number of eligible registrations submitted, returning the submission rates to FY 2023 levels. This drop was attributed to USCIS’s implementation of a new selection process this year to combat abuse of the H-1B registration process which took place in FY 2024.
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The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received enough petitions to reach the second random selection for fiscal year 2025, H-1B regular cap.
The announcement has been confirmed through a statement provided by the USCIS, with the agency stressing that it has selected a sufficient number of registrations from the remaining properly submitted FY 2025 registrations, VisaGuide.World reports.
The allocation for the advanced degree or Master’s quota of 20,000 was met through the H-1B petitions filed during the initial period that ended on June 30. Therefore, a second lottery for that allocation was not necessary.
Our projections indicate we have now randomly selected a sufficient number of registrations for unique beneficiaries as needed to reach the regular cap from the remaining properly submitted FY 2025 registrations. We have notified all prospective petitioners with selected registrations from this round of selection that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration.
Recently, the USCIS announced that it would conduct a second lottery for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B for the regular cap category. However, the agency argued that a second lottery for that allocation was not necessary.
We did not conduct a second selection for the advanced degree exemption (the master’s cap), as enough masters cap registrations had already been selected and sufficient petitions were received based on these registrations as projected to meet the master’s cap numerical allocation. 
The agency also stressed that it notified all prospective petitioners with selected registrations from the second lottery that they can file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the beneficiary named in the selected registration.
The USCIS also announced that if an employer does not receive a selection notice for a registration application through the MyUSCIS account by now, it is unlikely that this application was selected in the second lottery.
The agency recalled that an H-1B cap-subject petition must be filed at the correct filing location or online through the MyUSCIS account within a period indicated on the relevant selection notice.
According to the USCIS, the period for filing the H-1B cap-subject petition is at least 90 days. Petitioners are required to include a copy of the applicable selection notice with the FY 2025 H-1B cap-subject petition.
The H-1B program permits companies and employers in the US to bring foreign workers to fill job positions in several fields. This kind of visa allows IT specialists, accountants, architects, doctors and lawyers, among others to temporarily work in the US legally.
Each year, the agency approves nearly 65,000 petitions, for a period from October 1, until September 30 of the following year. Of them, 6,800 are reserved for nationals of Chile and Singapore.
Copyright © 2017 – 2024 VisaGuide.World

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Quick Hits
As background, the annual availability of new H-1B visas is limited to 85,000 per fiscal year, with 20,000 H-1B visas set aside under the “advanced degree exemption” for beneficiaries who have earned a U.S. master’s degree or higher.
The new selections were taken from the existing pool of H-1B registrations submitted during the March 2024 H-1B registration period. Because USCIS had already selected sufficient H-1B registrations pursuant to the advanced degree exemption, all registrations selected in the second lottery were taken from the full registration pool, which included both those eligible only for the “regular cap” and those eligible for the “master’s cap.” A second, separate lottery was not conducted solely for beneficiaries eligible under the advanced degree exemption.
Next Steps
Results of the second lottery may be viewed on employers’ MyUSCIS accounts. The window to file H-1B petitions for those selected in the second round is August 8, 2024, to November 7, 2024.
Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will publish updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available.
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An Indian worker with an H-1B visa can stay in the United States for three years. This can generally be extended to a maximum of six years
The H-1B visa registration period for the current fiscal was closed on Monday afternoon, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The registration opene on March 7.
The USCIS will now notify the applicants by March 31. Eligible applicants can now file their H-1B petition for FY 2026 in the next 90 days.
The H-1B visa window usually opens for 14 days every March. Hence, the next registration window will open by March 2026. In case there is a tweak in government policy under the new Donald Trump administration, it will be notified on the USCIS website.
Each registration costs $215. H-1B cap-subject petitions, including beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and pay the fee for each beneficiary.
Employers seeking to file Form I-129 with USCIS should first submit a Labour Condition Application (LCA) and get the certification from the US Department of Labor.
H-1B visa allows an Indian worker to stay for three years in the US and can be extended later. The H-1B admission cannot be extended for more than six years. However, visa application is not needed for those who already have a valid status and can just apply for a change of status instead.
Anyone who has been offered a temporary professional position by a US employer can apply for H-1B status. These employees need a bachelors degree to be eligible. There is an annual cap of 65,000 new visas every fiscal year.
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United States – FY 2023 H-1B Regular Cap and Master’s Cap Met  kpmg.com
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H-1B visa seekers are waiting for the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap season to open. The H-1B nonimmigrant visa program permits temporary employment of foreign workers in specialty occupations, requiring specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s or higher degree.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap will open on March 7 and run till March 24, 2025. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives have to use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary.
1. Prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners or their representatives are required to use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration submitted on behalf of each beneficiary.
2.If you are an H-1B petitioning employer who does not have a USCIS online account, you will need to create an organizational account. If you are an H-1B petitioning employer who had an H-1B registrant account for the FY 2021 – FY 2024 H-1B registration seasons, but you did not use the account for FY 2025, your existing account will be converted to an organizational account after your next log in.
3.First-time registrants can create an account at any time. Representatives may add clients to their accounts at any time, but both representatives and registrants must wait until March 7 to enter beneficiary information and submit the registration with the $215 fee. Selections occur after the initial registration period closes, so there is no requirement to register on the day the initial registration period opens.
4.The FY 2026 H-1B cap will use the beneficiary-centric selection process launched in FY 2025. Under the beneficiary-centric process, registrations are selected by unique beneficiaries rather than by registration. If USCIS receives registrations for enough unique beneficiaries by March 24, they will randomly select unique beneficiaries and send selection notifications via users’ USCIS online accounts.
5.Under the electronic registration process, prospective petitioners (also known as registrants) who are seeking to employ H-1B workers subject to the cap, and their authorized representatives, if applicable, complete a registration process that requires basic information about the prospective petitioner and each requested worker. The initial registration period is for a minimum of 14 calendar days each fiscal year. The H-1B selection process is then run on properly submitted electronic registrations. Only those with selected registrations are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.
6.The U.S. Department of Treasury has approved a temporary increase in the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99 per day for the FY 2026 H-1B cap season. This temporary increase is in response to the volume of previous H-1B registrations that exceeded the daily credit card limit. Transactions more than $99,999.99 may be made via Automated Clearing House (ACH). Use of ACH may require the payor to alert their bank in advance to remove any potential ACH block on their account.
7.An H-1B cap-subject petition, including a petition for a beneficiary who is eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may only be filed by a petitioner whose registration for the beneficiary named in the H-1B petition was selected in the H-1B registration process.
8.For FY 2026, USCIS has made multiple enhancements for organizational and representative accounts for H-1B filing including the ability for paralegals to work with more than one legal representative. A paralegal will now be able to accept invitations from multiple legal representative accounts, allowing them to prepare H-1B registrations, Form I-129 H-1B petitions, and Form I-907 requests for premium processing for different attorneys, all within one paralegal account.
9.If USCIS does not receive registrations for enough unique beneficiaries, all registrations for unique beneficiaries that were properly submitted in the initial registration period will be selected. USCIS intends to notify by March 31 prospective petitioners and representatives whose accounts have at least one registration selected.
10.On January 30, 2024, USCIS issued a final rule to increase integrity and limit the possibility of fraud in the H-1B registration process, including guaranteeing that each beneficiary has an equal chance of being picked, regardless of the number of registrations made on their behalf.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined a protest by NSUI, opposing NEP 2020, UGC draft rules, and paper leaks. He accused RSS of destroying India’s education system and criticized PM Modi for ignoring unemployment. Gandhi pledged to fight with students against the concentration of wealth in the hands of industrialists and RSS control over institutions.

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United States – FY 2023 H-1B Regular Cap and Master’s Cap Met  KPMG
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