The registration period for the Fiscal Year 2022 H-1B visa lottery will open at noon Eastern Time (ET) on March 9 and run through noon ET on March 25, 2021. Employers seeking to employ H-1B workers must electronically register with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and create an online account to be eligible for FY 2022 H-1B lottery.

The H-1B specialty occupation visa classification is reserved for occupations that require theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent.

Every year, USCIS grants 65,000 new H-1B visas. In addition, USCIS grants 20,000 new H-1B visas for individuals with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. H-1B visas are granted for three-year periods to eligible foreign workers and are renewable for up to six years. Employees with H-1B visas are authorized to work only for the petitioning employer. Employers pay a $10 non-refundable H-1B registration fee for each foreign worker/beneficiary and can submit registrations for up to 250 beneficiaries as part of one payment and submission.

USCIS uses a random computer selection process, or “lottery,” to determine which registration will be selected to file an H-1B visa petition. At the close of the registration period, USCIS notifies employers with selected registrations via their USCIS online accounts by March 31, 2021. The USCIS selection notice invites the employer to file an H-1B cap-subject petition on behalf of the named individual within the filing period indicated on the notice.

Employers who have not created an account and registered for the visa lottery by 12:00 p.m. ET on March 25, 2021 will not be considered for selection and invited to submit visa petitions.

Employers interested in filing an H-1B petition, or who are uncertain whether the March 25, 2021, registration deadline applies to them, should contact an experienced immigration attorney representing employers in the H-1B process and review the details of the FY 2022 H-1B visa lottery process. Employers intending to petition for an H-1B worker for the upcoming lottery window should plan ahead and gather all the necessary documents prior to March 9, 2021.