The H-1B visa application submission process for the fiscal year 2025 will start on March 6. The US federal agency announced a major overhaul of its annual lottery for this speciality occupation visa in January this year, as reported by PTI.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the initial registration period for the fiscal 2025 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) on March 6 and run through March 22. During this period, prospective petitioners and their representatives must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
“We’re always looking for ways to bolster integrity and curtail the potential for fraud while improving and streamlining our application processes,” said USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou, as quoted by PTI.
The new system includes a provision for a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations by employers. As a result, unlike in the past, with multiple applications by an individual that often resulted in abuse and fraud, the H-1B visa applications would now be counted and accepted based on individual applicants.
“The improvements in these areas should make H-1B selections more equitable for petitioners and beneficiaries and will allow for the H-1B process to be fully electronic from registration, if applicable, until final decision and transmission of approved petitions to the Department of State,” Jaddou said.
The final rule contains provisions that will create a beneficiary-centric selection process, codify start date flexibility for certain petitions subject to the Congressionally mandated H-1B cap, and add more integrity measures related to the registration process.
Under the beneficiary-centric process, registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration, designed to reduce the potential for fraud and ensure each beneficiary has the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf by an employer.
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Director of Government Relations Sharvari Dalal-Dheini said the new process “will ensure a beneficiary-centric lottery process to level the playing field.”
“It is commendable that DHS took steps to shift from a flawed model to one that will create a fairer system in time for this year’s registration period,” Dalal-Dheini said.
(With Inputs from PTI)
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Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
