In A First, H-1B Aspirants Get 3rd Chance At Lottery Draw

In an unprecedented move and for the first time ever, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has conducted a third lottery to select additional registrations (including the Masters’ cap) to reach the H-1B cap quota for the fiscal year that began on October 1. The annual quota is 85,000 (including the Masters’ cap of 20,000 which is reserved for those with advanced US educational qualifications).

- Lubna Kably

With doors now open for international travel, the third lottery may come in handy for sponsoring employers to meet the skill-gap. The H-1B visa is a very popular work visa, especially among Indians in the tech sector For the fiscal year 2022 (year ending September 30, 2022), during the H-1B cap registration period, sponsoring employers had submitted over 3 lakh registrations. Typically, at least 60% of the registrations are for Indian beneficiaries (individuals who are being sponsored for this work visa).