The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the holding of a second lottery to allocate the remaining H-1B visas for fiscal year 2025.
This visa, aimed at foreign professionals, is essential for those looking to work in the United States in specialized fields.
Each year, Congress authorizes a total of 85,000 H-1B visas. Of these, 65,000 are available for general professionals, while the remaining 20,000 are reserved for those who hold a master's degree from a U.S. university.
The first round of selection took place at the beginning of the year, and now, USCIS has initiated a second random selection among the properly submitted electronic registrations.
The government clarified that only applicants with selected registrations in this second lottery will be able to submit their H-1B petitions during the period indicated in their selection notification letters.
This second chance is crucial for those who were not selected in the first round, offering new hope to obtain one of these coveted visas.
The initial window for submitting applications for the 2025 H-1B visa cap opened on April 1 and closed on June 30. In May, USCIS reported a 40% decrease in applications compared to previous years, without a clear explanation for the reason.
A possible reason for the decrease in the number of applications could be the changes implemented in the selection system. Now, each applicant has the same opportunities through a one-application-per-person rule, preventing speculation and the submission of multiple applications by the same individual through different companies.
This adjustment in the process aims to ensure a more equitable distribution of visas and prevent abusive practices in the application for H-1B visas.
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