The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the holding of a Second lottery to assign H-1B visas remaining in fiscal year 2025.
This visa, aimed at foreign professionals, is essential for those seeking 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 professionalswhile the remaining 20,000 are reserved for those who hold a master’s degree from an American university.
The first round of selection was conducted earlier this year, and now, USCIS has initiated a second random selection from among properly submitted electronic registrations.
The government clarified that only applicants with registrations selected in this second lottery will be able to file their H-1B applications during the period indicated in their registration selection notices.
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 filing applications for the 2025 H-1B visa quota opened on April 1 and closed on June 30. In May, USCIS had reported a 40% decrease in applications compared to previous years, with no clear explanation as to why.
One 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 one application per person, avoiding speculation and the submission of multiple applications by the same individual through different companies.
This adjustment to the process seeks to ensure a more equitable distribution of visas and prevent abusive practices in H-1B applications.
