The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently announced the results of the electronic H-1B Quota Registration selection, often known as the H-1B lottery, for the fiscal year 2023. There were 483,927 H-1B registrations, and 127,600 registrations were selected so as to reach the number allocated. There was a 56% increase in registrations this year.

The number of registrations selected by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service for acceptance increased as well. There were 46% more registrations selected this year in the first selection process than last year. Although the H-1B quota has not been changed.

Employers who want to hire H-1B workers along with the H-1B workers they wish to hire are subject to the quota for H-1B workers and must complete the required electronic registration.

Once the registration period ends, the USCIS carries out the H-1B lottery on the electronic registrations that were correctly submitted. The registrations that are selected can be used to file an H-1B quota petition for the 65,000 regular H-1B visas and the 20,000 reserved for those registrants with a Master’s Degree or higher. The registrants can find out if they were selected by checking their myUSCIS account. The myUSCIS accounts will be updated to include selection notices for those registrants who were selected. It will also include the necessary details about where and when to file. The limit of 85,000 visas has remained the same since 2004.

This year there were a high number of applicants and selections as compared to the 2022 fiscal year. In the 2022 fiscal year, there were 308,613 H-1B registrations received by the USCIS. Of these, 87,500 were initially selected. A second lottery was held in July, at which time 27,717 were selected. Then, a third lottery was held in November, in which 16,753 registrations were selected. This meant a total of 131,970 registrations were selected in the fiscal year 2022.

The initial selection of 127,600 registrations for the 2023 fiscal year may seem high, but the USCIS is required to consider any historical data concerning denials, revocations, approvals, as well as any other factors when computing the number of petitions that will be necessary to meet the cap. When determining the initial selection number, the USCIS also considers the historical rates of the petitioners who have their registrations selected and yet fail to file a petition based on the selected registration.

Considering the large number of initial selections the USCIS made this year as compared to last year, it would seem that they do not want to have more H-1B lotteries for the 2023 fiscal year.

For those that are selected and then file for their employee’s H-1B visa, they will need to file Form I-9. Completing Form I-9 can be complicated, and it is easy to make mistakes. The easiest way to avoid mistakes is with an electronic I-9 management tool. This can guide you through the employment verification process and ensure you know which documents are suitable to prove work authorization.

Interested in automating your employment eligibility verification? Ensure compliance today with I-9 Compliance.

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