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ARTICLE · 13 DECEMBER 2018

DHS Proposes New H-1B Prefiling Registration System And Changes To H-1B Lottery

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Prior to submitting petitions for H-1B visas, employers first will be required to register electronically with USCIS during a designated registration period.

United StatesImmigration
Lars-Erik Hjelm
Lars-Erik Hjelm
Jillie B. Richards
Jillie B. Richards
Maka Y. Hutson
Maka Y. Hutson
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Key Points

  • Prior to submitting petitions for H-1B visas, employers first will be required to register electronically with USCIS during a designated registration period.
  • DHS proposes to use a computer-generated process to select a sufficient number of registrations projected to meet the applicable H-1B caps.
  • In order to increase the odds for selection of H-1B beneficiaries with a master's or higher degree from a U.S. university, DHS proposes to first select registrations that were submitted on behalf of all beneficiaries to meet the 65,000 regular H-1B cap and then select from the remaining registrations 20,000 beneficiaries for the advanced degree cap.
  • Petitioners whose registrations are selected will have at least a 60-day period during which they may file a complete H-1B petition.

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