By Julie Oliver-Zhang, Esq. and Annjelika Slate

As we get further into 2022, the H-1B lottery opening day is steadily approaching. Mark your calendars for February 21, 2022 as to when you can begin creating an H-1B registration account. That is less than two weeks away! For those who meet specific requirements, H1B lottery will be the first step in the process of potentially living and working in the
United States. Below, we will discuss what USCIS means by “lottery” and what to expect as first steps.

The H-1B “lottery” was created as a random selection process to select cap-subject H1B petitions from a large pool of properly submitted electronic registrations. Each fiscal year, the United States federal government sets aside a certain number of new H-1B visas as a “cap” to the number of international employees that will be allowed to live and
work within the United States. Congressionally mandated cap is 65,000 H-1B visas each year (“regular cap”), while extra 20,000 are for those that hold master’s degrees or higher from a United States institution (“advance degree exemption”).

For further information on the H-1B visa lottery process, see: https://oliverzhanglaw.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-h-1b-visas-in-2022/

On February 21st, the USCIS online account creation process begins. This means that all potential H-1B applicants will be able to go online and create a USCIS account to prepare for H-1B application registration on March 1st. In 2020, USCIS for the first time made the H-1B approval procedures more reasonable by implementing an Electronic-Registration process that only asks for the worker beneficiary’s basic information. Unlike previous years, where H1B petitioners had to file their entire petition before hearing back on whether the application is selected in the lottery, this new online registration process is much easier and saves applicants time and money. Petitioners are required to register online which includes a $10 fee for each beneficiary. If you are selected as a lottery pick, you will
then move on to submitting your actual H1-B petition. Here is a timeline of important dates that you should be on the lookout for:

We understand that preparing for H-1B applications can be stressful. That is why Oliver-Zhang Law is here for you. Our H-1B lawyers are experienced and ready to assist you with the best service throughout your H-1B application process. Please contact us today at [email protected], or 202-643-1110 for a FREE immigration attorney consultation. We are looking forward to assisting you.