The Ultimate Guide to the 2024 H-1B Visa Lottery: Everything You Need to Know

The H-1B Lottery for 2024 opened yesterday (March 1, 2023). You may be wondering what the H-1B visa lottery is and how it works. Well, you're in luck! In this newsletter, I'll be answering all your questions about the 2024 H-1B visa lottery and how you or someone you know might benefit.

First things first, what is the H-1B visa lottery? The H-1B visa lottery is a system used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to randomly select a limited number of H-1B visa applications for processing. The lottery is conducted every year when the number of applications received exceeds the annual cap of 85,000 visas.

Now that you know what the lottery is, let's dive into the details. The 2024 H-1B visa lottery opened 1 March 2023 and runs until noon Eastern Standard Time on 17 March 2023. This is a strict deadline, once that time passes, the registration system is taken offline and no one else can sign up - no exceptions, so don’t wait until the last minute! The USCIS computer registration system is notoriously glitchy.

Both the employer and the employee must qualify for the H-1B visa to register for the lottery. This means the employer must be offering a specialty occupation position, and the employee must be qualified to perform the job based on holding a US degree (or equivalent foreign degree or work experience. If you own your own business you can technically sponsor yourself, but these types of cases are very complex and most sole member companies will not be eligible.

If your application is selected in the lottery, USCIS will begin processing it. However, being selected in the lottery doesn't guarantee that your application will be approved. Your application will still need to meet all the eligibility requirements, and USCIS will need to approve it before you can receive your H-1B visa.

So, what can you do to increase your chances of success in the H-1B visa lottery? One important thing is to make sure your registration is complete and error-free. You should also have all the necessary documentation and meet all the eligibility requirements. Additionally, you may want to consider hiring an experienced immigration attorney to help you with your registration.

In conclusion, the 2024 H-1B visa lottery is an important event for those seeking to work in the United States on an H-1B visa. By understanding how the lottery works and taking steps to increase your chances of success, you can improve your chances of being selected and receiving your H-1B visa.