USCIS released a press note today indicating they will accept registrations for H1B cap-subject petitions for H1B Visa 2024 season starting from March 1st. In this article, we will summarize the key points from the press release, what to expect and how the overall process would work for H1B Fiscal Year 2024 season.
If you are new to the H1B Visa process, please read two articles to familiarize yourself with the jargon and process: 1. H1B Visa Guide – Step-by-Step Process from Lottery to Stamping, working in the US, and 2. H1B Visa Basics – All the common jargon related to H1B Visa
USCIS News Summary: H1B Visa 2024 Season Full Details
As per the USCIS Press release, below are the details of the H1B Registration Process for the fiscal year 2024 season. We have divided it into subsections for easy understanding.
H1B 2024 Registration – Start & End Dates, Online System
USCIS will accept H1B registrations for FY 2024 season starting from March 1st, 2023, for 17 days until March 17th, 2023. All employers can submit H1B registrations on behalf of their company for their employees/potential employees for whom they plan to sponsor H1B visas.
- Start Date: March 1st, 2023, 12 Noon EST
- End Date: March 17th, 2023, 12 Noon EST
USCIS will accept the H1B registrations online in their H1B Registration System. This was created by USCIS a few years ago and is a fully online process now. In the past, you had to send a full physical package with a lot of paperwork; now, all of that is gone, and everything is online.
If you are new, read How does Online H1B Registration Process Work?
How does the H1B Registration Process work, Check Status
As per USCIS, similar to previous years, they will assign a unique confirmation number for each of the registrations submitted for the FY 2024 season. This confirmation number is only for USCIS to track the registrations internally to run the lottery or keep them wait-listed. The H1B Registration confirmation number cannot be used to track the status or result of your H1B registration online using the USCIS Case Online System(Used to check USCIS application/petition status online).
Based on previous years’ data, the H1B Registration “Beneficiary Confirmation Number” is a 16-digit alphanumeric number starting with the fiscal year. For example, for FY 2024, it would look like 2024-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx.
Below is a sample screenshot of how the Beneficiary Confirmation Number looks in the H1B Registration selection notice.
You may also read How to check H1B Registration Lottery Results
H1B Sponsors’ Registrant Accounts, Dates for registration
The H1B Sponsors/ Employers or their representatives need to use the Online H1B Registration System, where they need to create registrant accounts to submit the H1B registrations for the applicants, for whom they plan to sponsor H1B visas.
Employers can create the H1B registrant accounts starting from February 21st, 2023, at Noon EST. Even though you create the registrant accounts, you will not be able to submit the H1B registration until March 1st, 2023. They can only fill in all the H1B registration details or submit multiple registrations in bulk from March 1st, 2023.
H1B Registration Fee, Credit Card transaction limts
The H1B Registration fee has not changed for this fiscal year, and it remains at $10 USD per H1B registration. There are plans to increase this to $215 USD as per the regulation, which is currently in the notice and comment period. We might see this change for the next fiscal year FY 2025.
Employers can submit registrations in bulk for more than one applicant and pay for the same as well. USCIS said they worked with the US Dept of Treasury and have the approval to accept daily credit card limits up to $39,999.99 per day. In the past, this used to be $24,999.99. They will provide more details around the start of the registration process if any changes or more details.
H1B Lottery, Registration Selection Results
USCIS said that if they get enough registrations to meet the H1B Visa Cap(Regular & Masters) by March 17th, 2023, they would run a random selection process or popularly called as H1B Visa Lottery, to select the applicants to meet the H1B Cap. If lesser registrations than the H1B cap is received, they will select all the H1B registrations that were properly submitted.
The H1B Registration Lottery results will be announced by March 31st, 2023. Usually, the H1B registration selection results are notified about 2 to 3 days before March 31st, and they flow in for about a few days. Employers are notified of the same to check their online accounts.
Only selected applicants from the H1B Registrations Lottery are eligible to file for H1B Visa petition with USCIS for the next steps. This also applies for US Masters applicants filing under the US Masters quota cap.
There are no changes to H1B Lottery Process, and it looks like in the below screenshot. You can read full details at How does H1B Visa Lottery Process Work?
Flow Chart of H1B Registration Process, Results
Below is how the overall flow of the H1B Registration process would work for FY 2024 season, starting from the H1B registration all the way to working in the US.
Common FAQs
We would likely have an H1B lottery based on history. We have had H1B Lottery for the last ten consecutive years. Check H1B Cap Reach Dates, History 2000 to 2022
$10 USD. There are plans to increase this to $215 USD starting from next year. The regulation is still in the notice and comment period.
This is a million-dollar question…No one knows. Last year for FY 2023 season, we had about 484,000 H1B Registrations submitted with USCIS. We will write a detailed analysis on H1B lottery in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned.
No, you cannot sponsor H1B for yourself. So, you should not submit any H1B registration yourself. Only a company with US Operations can submit H1B registration and sponsor H1B Visa.
What do you think of the H1B Registration and Lottery for FY 2024 Season? How would it play? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Hi Kumar,
Please confirm If I am able to apply for H1B with a recently expired Passport. I have scheduled to renew my passport but it may take time to get the new one.
The end date to apply for H1B is 17-Mar-2023. But my scheduled date is on 14 April 2023.
Hello Kumar,
I am on L2 EAD and working for a client on contract. My employer is planning to apply for H1 lottery this year and also I got an offer letter from my client. Can my employer and client both enter my name into H1 lottery or is it considered duplicate?
Thanks,
Hari
Hari,
It will be technically considered a duplicate. The simple reason is, it is the same end job that both of them are applying for. As both of the companies are related, it will be flagged and you can get in trouble. Pick one company and ask them to apply to avoid issues.
Hello Kumar,
My case was approved in October 2022 and didn’t go for visa interview because the client is not issuing the client letter due to some issues. I’m not sure the client will provide or not. Can you please share details on below.
1) Without the client letter can I go for visa interview?
2) In this situation can I apply for H1B this year because not sure whether I’ll go for visa interview or not on last years case approval?
Hello Siva,
I attended the H1B Visa interview without a client interview in Nov’22, but I had the SOW document, and my visa was approved.
Edwin,
This is good to hear. Did they ask for client letter or nothing was asked.
Kumar,
Since I didn’t have a client letter, I gave SOW and my H1B visa was approved.
Ediwn,
Thanks for sharing!
Siva,
Well, if the client is not giving try to carry what they given and any email or any proof that tells they do not provide.
You can apply this year, the old one has no bearing.
Again, always remember, applying for H1B means, someone is willing to give you a job and offer you employment from October 1st. It has to be confirmed. Just applying without having documentation or real job can get tricky and not suggested, as this path is subject to a lot of fraud and there will be more scrutiny.
Hi, I know it is very difficult to predict the number of registrations for FY24. As we know FY21 290K nearly , FY22 307K registration nearly. FY23, it was 484K ( all time high value). So how much we can predict for FY24 as per USA as well as world wide recessions and other stuff. At least some guess ?
By considering USCIS action on duplicate registrations in FY23, can we say duplicate entries ( same person multiple registrations though different channels ) can be reduced at least some extent ?
SivaRamaKrishna,
We will write an analysis article soon on the Lottery Predictions, stay tuned.
No, it can’t because people will apply from a different company that is not related, which is legal.
Thanks PK.
That means let us assume, one associate is working in Infy and Infy is going to register his application and parallelly associate try to register through some consultency outside on his own circle. Up to this it is legal.
Right. Then two cases..
A) Let us assume one application is picked in lottery so, he will go for filing and followed by stamping. So while stamping USCIS never check applicant already registered through another channel of course that was not picked up.. So there won’t be any problem and it is legal.
B) He is so fortune and both applications are picked up in lottery
b. 1)so he will drop and go with another one as per his wish. Then he comes under above case and it is legal. Right?
b. 2) he filed both ways and go for stamping on first come first service base. Then this is illegal right? USCIS will check. Right?
Apart from this any other scenario which are illegal?
I know applying more than once source for more picking chance may be legal, but not a right approach. It varies from person to person and situation to situation. So it is up to them. . So can ignore that point here and just discuss about legal and illegal..
Any one hear any news about scenarios which we describe above as legal are actually illegal?
Thanks in advance
No..They verified multiple registrations with the same client or related concerns or even attorneys connections and issuing NOID and NOIR
How many available seat as per general category?
San,
It is actually quota. 65K for regular quota and 20K for US masters quota. Read H1B Caps Regular vs masters