Second H-1B visa lottery round completed in US, successful applicants informed
PTC Web Desk: The United States has conducted a second round of random lottery selection for the highly sought-after H-1B work visa, and the successful applicants have been notified, according to a federal agency.
Notably, H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that enables US companies to hire foreign workers for specialised occupations that demand theoretical or technical expertise.
Technology companies heavily rely on the H-1B visa to recruit tens of thousands of employees annually, particularly from countries such as India and China. On Tuesday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated that "they have completed the random selection process for the remaining FY 2024 registrations, and they have selected enough registrations to meet the visa cap".
The USCIS has informed all successful applicants who are eligible for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year starting from October 1. The need for an unprecedented second round of the H-1B lottery arose due to a significant number of unqualified applications that were initially selected in the first H-1B lottery held in the first week of April.
The USCIS has raised serious concerns about a substantial rise in eligible registrations with multiple entries for beneficiaries, surpassing previous years' numbers. This has led to suspicions that certain individuals may have collaborated to exploit the system, submitting multiple registrations for the same beneficiary to unfairly increase their chances of selection.
"The USCIS is fully committed to preventing and deterring any misuse of the registration process, ensuring that only those who comply with the law are eligible to file an H-1B cap petition," it added.
- With inputs from agencies
