US resorts to third lottery for filing up H-1B visa quota
In an unusual move, the US government has conducted a third H-1B lottery for reaching the numerical cap for fiscal 2022
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Bengaluru, 20 November In an unusual move, the US government has conducted a third H-1B lottery for reaching the numerical cap for fiscal 2022.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said that it needs to select additional registrations for reaching the FY2022 numerical allocations, including the advanced degree exemption.
"On Nov. 19, we selected from among previously submitted electronic registrations using a random selection process. The petition filing period based on registrations selected on Nov. 19 will begin on Nov. 22, 2021, and close on Feb. 23, 2022. Individuals with selected registrations will have their my USCIS accounts updated to include a selection notice, which includes details about when and where to file," USCIS said in a statement.
The immigration agency follows an October to September cycle. Applicants selected for FY2022 would be eligible to start work from October 2022.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Global technology firms widely use this option hire thousands of high-skilled engineers each year from countries like India. Indian IT companies are also major beneficiaries of this visa scheme.
Each year, the US issues 65,000 new H-1B visas, with another 20,000 reserved for applicants who have done their Masters in the US.
Usually, the immigration agency receives enough number of applications and selection of applicants concludes in the first phase. However, the ongoing pandemic has created a situation where companies are not keen to send their employees to client geographies due to fears of infections.
