US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated on January 28, 2022, that the registration period for Fiscal Year 2023 will begin on March 1, 2022, 12nn EST and end on March 18, 2022, 12nn EST. Employers can register prospective employees via the USCIS online H-1B registration system during this 18-day period, either directly or through their representatives.
The H-1B visa program allows US employers to hire foreign workers for a limited time in occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge as well as a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specified specialty or its equivalent. Congress has set aside 65,000 visas for people with a bachelor’s degree and another 20,000 for those with master’s degrees from the United States. USCIS has received an average of about 300,000 registrations over the last couple of years, requiring a lottery to reach the stated cap.
Employers must first create an account on the myUSCIS portal before registering for H-1B visas. New accounts for first-time businesses can be opened starting on February 21, 12nn EST. A $10 registration fee per prospective employee is also required as part of the H-1B process. If USCIS receives enough registrations to meet the cap by the end of the registration period on March 18, it will make random picks and notify the relevant myUSCIS account users by March 31.