USCIS Announces Record Number of H-1B Cap Registrations for FY2023

USCIS announced that they have received 483,927 Registrations for the 2023 H1B Cap, surpassing last year by almost 180,000—nearly a 60% increase!

According to USCIS, 31% of the submissions were made under the U.S. Master’s Cap, for which there are 20,000 dedicated visas.

USCIS has selected 127,000 registrations in anticipation of filling 85,000 H-1B Cap spots. Those with selected registrations will have their myUSCIS accounts updated to include selection notice, which includes details about when and where to file. Registrations will reflect one of the below statuses:

Selected: “Selected” means that the registration was selected in the lottery. For selected registrations, employers have 90 days to complete and submit their H-1B petition to USCIS to be reviewed. The filing window began on April 1, 2022 and will end on June 30, 2022 at 12pm Noon ET.
Submitted: Applications which have been properly submitted but not selected in the lottery will be held “in reserve” in the event that USCIS needs to hold additional lotteries (in which case, these some of these registrations may be selected to participate in the lottery). For the past two years, USCIS has conducted a second H-1B lottery in late July.
Denied: Means multiple registrations were submitted by or on behalf of the same registrant for the same beneficiary. If denied as a duplicate registration, all registrations submitted by or on behalf of the same registrant for this beneficiary for the fiscal year become invalid.
Invalidated-Failed Payment: Means a registration was submitted but the payment method was declined, not reconciled, or otherwise invalid. Invalidated registrations are not eligible for consideration in the selection process, or if the selection process has been completed, are not eligible to support the filing of a cap-subject petition.

It’s important to remember that having a registration selected does NOT guarantee success in obtaining an H1B Visa. USCIS selects an excess number of registrations in anticipation of many of them being denied. The best way to avoid having your application denied or to avoid being issued an RFE (request for evidence) is to work with an experienced immigration attorney.

Our firm has an impeccable record of success for RFE approvals, allowing us to identify small errors that may create problems and anticipate potential challenges before you are issued an RFE. Contact Us for a free 10-minute H-1B consultation or call us today to speak with an experienced immigration attorney.