As most of you know, USCIS announced that they would conduct a second-round lottery for H1B Visa 2024 season last week. In fact, they conducted a second-round lottery over the weekend and started to notify selected applicants starting late Friday evening. USCIS did not give any official update, but we had many users and attorneys confirm the same. You can check full details at H1B Visa 2024 Lottery results out, news article.
Today USCIS gave a press release indicating that they notified all the selected applicants in the second round lottery and how many they have selected. This article will review all the details, including a summary of the USCIS press release.
News: USCIS Completes Second Round H1B Lottery for FY 2024
Below is the news summary of the official press release by USCIS that confirmed that the second round H1B Lottery was complete for the FY 2024 season.
- Randomly Selected Second Round Lottery: USCIS said that they had made a random selection, which is popularly called as H1B Visa Lottery, to select the remaining H1B registrations to reach the H1B cap for FY 2024. Technically, this is second-round lottery or second random selection done by USCIS. In the first round, they selected 110,791 registrations. You can read full details at USCIS received 781K H1B Registrations for FY 2024 news article.
- Notified all selected Employers: USCIS confirmed that they had notified all the employers regarding the selected registrations in their accounts. Employers can log in to their USCIS accounts to download the H1B Selection Notice.
- File H1B Petition for Selected Applicants: Only employers with selected registrations can file for an H1B Cap subject petition for FY 2024 Season for the respective applicant selected in the second round lottery.
- File Petition at Correct Service Center, 90 Days window: When employers file the H1B cap-subject petition for FY 2024 season, they need to properly file the H1B petition at the correct USCIS service center within the filing period indicated on the relevant registration selection notice. Employers get at least 90 days window to file H1B petition from the date of the selection of the second round.
- Filing Period Aug 2nd to Oct 31st, 2023: As per the selection notice shared by others, the filing window for anyone selected in H1B Visa 2024 Second Round lottery is between August 2nd, 2023, and October 31st, 2023. It is about 90 days, which is the same amount of duration for anyone selected in the first round lottery.
- Online filing is not available. Submit selection Notice: There is no option to file the H1B petition online. Employers have to do the physical filing of forms using paper-based forms. All the employers need to submit their relevant H1B selection notice copy along with the H1B petition package.
- Meet all requirements for Regular & Masters Cap: USCIS says the employers need to submit relevant documentation that proves that the applicants selected in the H1B lottery meet all the requirements for the H1B regular cap or Masters cap criteria. Just getting selected does not mean anything, and it is up to the employer to submit all the proofs to meet the requirements.
USCIS Selected 77,600 H1B registrations in Second Round Lottery
USCIS updated the H1B Registration Page with the details related to the selections done in the second round H1B Lottery. Below are the details
- USCIS projected that a lot more H1B registrations need to be selected for fiscal year 2024, due to the sheer number of applicants with multiple registrations.
- USCIS updated that they selected 77,600 registrations during the second round lottery for H1B FY 2024 Season.
- In total, USCIS Selected 188,400 H1B Registrations for FY 2024 Season.
- In the first round, USCIS selected 110,791 registrations. If we add up the 110,791 with 77,600 it approximately comes to 188,400.
Below is the actual table given by USCIS on their website with the total number of registrations selected for previous years, including the FY 2024 Season.
If we plot the above table, as shown in the below screenshot, it clearly shows us the trend of increase in H1B registration selections by USCIS is tied to the multiple eligible registrations filed in that fiscal year.
Decreased filings due to Investigations to Combat Fraud
USCIS previously indicated that they have taken up extensive fraud investigations to identify anyone who tried to game the system and denied/revoked such petitions as applicable.
They also updated their website as part of the second round that they believe that the decrease in the number of H1B filings after the FY 2024 first-round selections is mainly due to the fraud investigations that USCIS is conducting.
See the below screenshot with the message updated by USCIS on the decrease in filings. Also, You can check more at: USCIS issued NOID, H1B Revoked Notices for multiple filings, for some details on such investigations.
Will USCIS Conduct Third Round H1B Lottery for FY 2024?
USCIS has selected the highest number of H1B Registrations(188,400) in Fiscal Year 2024 in total compared to any other year. The previous highest selections were in FY 2022 season with 131,924 Selections.
USCIS has selected 56,476 (188,400 -131,924) H1B registrations more than the previous highest selections in FY 2022. If we look at the stats, USCIS believes that only one in every two people selected would file H1B petition as the selections are more than double that of the H1B annual cap of 85,000.
The odds of having a third-round H1B lottery for FY 2024 look slim based just looking at the numbers. But, we have to understand, this year is unlike any other years with crazy number of multiple filings done. So, we should not be surprised if USCIS ends up conducting a third round lottery.
If you were selected in second-round lottery, congrats! You can read Next Steps after H1B Lottery to know more on the process after selection.
What do you think of the total selections in second-round lottery? Will there be third round lottery for FY 2024 season? Share your thoughts in comments section below.
my visa did not pick in 2nd Lottery but status is still submitted so will there be any chance for 3rd round cause the status are still submitted if there is no 3rd round then automatically the status will show not selected rite.
Hi,
I have been selected during the first round, but could not send the documents for filing. Can I do it now?
Praveen,
No, you cannot. It is technically expired. You need to go through lottery again next year.
Dear sir,
Can you please tell me the due date to submit the h1b petition for those who selected in 2nd round lottery.
Thanks
Shekar
I also want know the due date …please let me know..
With recession looming 3rd lottery is needed.
true , third lottery is very less probability
No emails, not sure why the delay
Why this much delay ??? Is any one from CTS received mail ?? Is that only selected candidates are notified this time ??
Hi Kumar,
My son not selected in second round lottery also.
His company submitting H1b application since 6 years many lottery happened no luck.
If any chance Third round lottery for FY 2024?
Suggest please.
Third round lottery chances are less but who knows there might be one just like a surprise second round this year.
Infy-2023,
Very hard to say at this point.
Any email updates for CTS guys?
Its just drama from cts, i guess they never file for those many people. Finally they will send “not selected” email to many. Anyways we dont have any proof that they have really filed..
Be ready CTS guys… u will receive – “not selected” emails tonight…
Bea ready.. tonight cts folks will get “not selected” emails…
Racism is everywhere, get ready for a shameless life.
Anyone from Infosys
Any updates for CTS people?
Not yet
most of the ppl from infy, cts, tcs etc waiting for updates… wish them all luck.. i am also trying from 2017 and alrdy became old enof that others will laugh when i say i am waiting for H1B.. lol
Anyone from Cognizant get any updates ?
hope that fake filings will be weeded out and only genuine candidates to be selected apart from increasing H1B vacancies on par with international student admissions in US universities as students dream to study and work in USA..
Anyone received mail from CTS ??
No
not yet
Any one received mail from Infosys?
No