H-1B Lottery Overhaul to Boost Visa Odds for Foreign Workers

Selection to be based on individual workers, not submissions New process aims to weed out fraud, help H-1B seekers Foreign workers in tech and other high-demand fields will have better chances of landing an H-1B specialty occupation visas this year thanks to an overhaul of the annual lottery process. Starting Wednesday, employers can submit registrations for the visas for fiscal year 2025, the initial step before that randomized lottery determines who can move forward with visa petitions. Unlike previous years, US Citizenship and Immigration Services will base lottery selections on individual workers, rather than the total number of submissions made on their behalf. That change, which was overwhelmingly welcomed by employers, was adopted by the agency in new regulations aimed at cutting out fraud committed by companies submitting multiple registrations on behalf of individual workers that didn’t reflect legitimate job offers. The new process also offers a measure of hope to foreign workers who have faced increasingly daunting odds of winning one of the coveted visa slots, capped at 85,000 per year. “Employers are happy,” said Jill Bloom, a partner at Fragomen Del Rey Bernsen & Loewy LLP. “They’re glad that USCIS is taking action to fix a clear problem.” While that lottery overhaul offers relief to employers looking to add foreign talent, they’re bracing for new visa fee hikes for the first time in nearly a decade as well as potential changes to eligibility criteria for H-1B visas later this year. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.