According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the US has concluded a second round of random lottery selection for the highly sought-after H-1B work visa for foreign guest workers. This non-immigrant visa enables US companies to hire foreign workers in specialised occupations requiring theoretical or technical expertise, with technology companies relying heavily on it to employ tens of thousands of employees annually from countries like India and China.
Streamlining the H-1B registration process
USCIS stated that they have successfully conducted a second lottery round, primarily due to the large number of unqualified applications that succeeded in the initial H-1B lottery held in the first week of April. The federal agency expressed concerns about some beneficiaries having multiple eligible registrations, potentially gaining an unfair advantage by working together to submit multiple applications on their behalf.
Curbing misuse
USCIS remains committed to deterring and preventing abuse of the registration process, ensuring that only those who comply with the law can file an H-1B cap petition. To streamline the process and enhance efficiency, USCIS implemented an electronic registration system in 2020 for the fiscal 2021 H-1B cap. This move has led to significant cost savings for petitioning employers and reduced paperwork and data exchange.
The agency reported a notable increase in the number of registrations submitted during the initial period for the 2024 H-1B cap compared to previous years. As part of their efforts to combat fraud, USCIS has conducted extensive investigations, resulting in denied and revoked petitions and law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution. They believe that the decreased filing rate for 2024 H-1B cap petitions compared to previous years indicates the positive impact of these investigations.
Based on evidence from the 2023 and 2024 H-1B cap seasons, USCIS has already undertaken extensive fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions, and continues to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution.
USCIS believes that the decreased filing rate for 2024 H-1B cap petitions as compared to the three previous fiscal years indicates that these investigations are having an impact, the federal agency said.
The H-1B programme is an essential part of our nation’s immigration system and our economy, and USCIS is committed to implementing the law and helping meet the ever-changing needs of the US labour market, it said.
“We are working on an upcoming H-1B modernisation rule that will propose, among other improvements, bolstering the H-1B registration process to reduce the possibility of misuse and fraud in the H-1B registration system,” it said.
(With inputs from PTI)
