2023 H-1B Lottery Registrations Likely to Exceed Expectations

The filing window for Fiscal Year 2024’s H-1B visas may have closed, but the results are still in progress. This year projects that the number of submitted petitions will surpass all expectations. With the backlog of previous years’ applications from countries like India, where H-1B requests far outweigh the available visas, it gets more difficult to obtain this coveted document. What does this next fiscal year look like, and what does that mean for H-1B applicants? Read on to find out.

Registrations on the Rise

Each year, USCIS restricts the number of capped visas to 85,000, with 20,000 reserved for advanced degree holders. Historically, registrations consistently exceed allotments, but 2023’s visa petitions are set to hit a record-breaking 500,000. For applicants, that means your odds of being selected will diminish significantly.

Why are there so many petitions this year? The answer is complicated and encompasses a variety of political and industrial changes. 

Many applicants are in the US under a tech-related H-1B visa but have been let go because of the massive tech layoffs from Amazon, Google, Meta, and other major players.

Other applicants aren’t urgently pursuing an H-1B, but they’re attempting to get in before the projected rate increases hit the scene in 2023. The political landscape is also evolving, and general expectations project that obtaining an H-1B visa will only get more challenging. Some businesses are trying to find foreign help before those increased criteria become official.

What To Do If You Don’t Get an H-1B

Understandably, you rely on an H-1B visa to expand your job prospects or business goals. But you have other options if you’re not selected in this year’s lottery. You should first connect with a legal immigration expert, like Visa2US, who can guide you through these all-important next steps.

In general, your options depend on your country of origin. For instance, if you’re a Canadian or Australian citizen, you can enter the US under an E-3 or TN visa. In India, the backlog of H-1B visas is so extensive that native citizens are taking a circuitous route by heading to Canada or Australia, becoming citizens of those countries, and then applying for US work visas.

If your job prospects fall in line with universities, government non-profits, and research organizations, you may be able to find a cap-exempt sponsor. This category of visas is unlimited and does not adhere to any deadlines. With a cap-exempt H-1B visa sponsor, you can apply any time throughout the year and begin working as soon as your paperwork is officially approved.

Cap-exempt professions are popular in the healthcare sector, higher education institutions, non-profit government research organizations, and non-profits affiliated with higher education organizations.

What’s Next?

So you’ve submitted your H-1B registration and are waiting for March 31, when USCIS intends to notify those registrants selected in the lottery. In the meantime, we at Visa2US are here to help you understand your selected or not-selected results and how to move forward from that designation.

Contact our legal experts 24/7; we’ll guide you through the complicated H-1B visa procedures. If you weren’t chosen this year, we can offer you alternative suggestions and help you prepare for next year’s lottery.

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H-1B Visa

H-1B Visa

H-1B visa is used by businesses and organizations in the United States to employ foreign nationals with the preferred qualifications, knowledge, and expertise in a role.

I-485 Adjustment of Status

I-485 Adjustment of Status

Submit a form I-485 application to apply for lawful permanent resident status.

National Interest Waiver (NIW)

National Interest Waiver (NIW)

An applicant must either hold an advanced degree or have an exceptional ability in their field that would substantially benefit the U.S. to be qualified.