H-1B FY 2025 Registration Window Now Closed
As of midday Eastern Time, March 25, 2024, the H-1B registration window for the fiscal year 2025 has closed.
The closing deadline had initially been set at March 22, but was extended by USCIS following temporary system outages experienced by some H1B registrants. The extension was designed to allow extra time for electronic registrations in light of the disruption.
Next steps
The annual H-1B visa program allows companies to recruit highly skilled workers in specialty occupations, playing a crucial role across the US economy, and the tech sector in particular. With a limited number of H-1B visas available each year, (85,000 cap-subject visas with an additional 20,000 for US master’s degree holders), the competition for these visas is fierce.
Following the closure of the registration window, if more registrations are received than visas available – as is typically the case – a lottery is conducted to choose applications that will be further processed.
Registrants and their potential sponsors must now wait to learn if they have been selected and whether they will be invited to compile and submit a full petition for adjudication.
But even with successful registration, there is no guarantee that an employer will secure the visas for all its sponsored candidates, although there are steps that can be taken to optimize prospects of application success.
According to figures published by USCIS, the first half of 2023 saw a 3.5% increase in H1B denials compared with the same period the previous year.
In particular, USCIS is also reportedly scrutinising applications more closely, looking for evidence that employers are making a good-faith effort to recruit American workers before hiring foreign ones. As such, if successful in the lottery, employers and applicants should ensure that petitions are comprehensive and that they adequately evidence eligibility as per the program requirements.
The recent increase in H-1B filing fees adds another layer of complexity. Companies must weigh the financial implications and alternative immigration options, particularly when there is no guarantee of H1B visa approval. This can pose a challenge for smaller businesses with limited resources.
NNU Immigration can help
NNU Immigration are specialist US immigration attorneys. We work with employers and individuals seeking to secure a visa to work in the USA, including the H-1B visa route. We can advise on all aspects of the eligibility requirements and can guide applicants through the petitioning process, including advice on the H-1B filing deadline and meeting the strict requirements.
If you have a question about the H-1B visa, speak to our experts.
This article does not constitute direct legal advice and is for informational purposes only.
Author
Founder & Principal Attorney Nita Nicole Upadhye is a recognized leader in the field of US business immigration law, (The Legal 500, Who's Who Legal and AILA) and an experienced and trusted advisor to large multinational corporates through to SMEs. She provides strategic immigration advice and specialist application support to corporations and professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, artists, actors and athletes from across the globe to meet their US-bound talent mobility needs.
Nita is an active public speaker, thought leader, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals.
