Being selected in the H-1B lottery is a major milestone. However, selection alone does not guarantee approval. Many H-1B petitions receive Requests for Evidence (RFEs), and in some cases, petitions are ultimately denied.
When this happens, both employers and employees are often left asking: what are the next steps?
Hiring international talent can be a valuable investment for U.S. employers. However, a common challenge arises when an employer hires a new employee working on Optional Practical Training (OPT), only to realize that the H-1B cap season has already passed or the employee was not selected in the lottery.
For skilled professionals on H-1B status, the U.S. green card backlog — particularly in EB-2 and EB-3 for Indian and Chinese nationals — can stretch for decades. As a result, many individuals are exploring Canada’s Express Entry system as a parallel path: obtaining Canadian permanent residence more quickly, building long-term stability, and...
Each year, USCIS receives far more H-1B registrations than the limited number of cap-subject visas available, making the lottery highly competitive for employers and foreign national professionals alike. As a result, many qualified candidates are not selected.
For that reason, it is important for both employers and H-1B candidates...
Recent updates to the H-1B process are adding a new layer of complexity for employers and applicants. With a revised Form I-129 and changes tied to the H-1B lottery system, wage level selection is becoming a critical factor—not just at filing, but at the very beginning of the process.
Employers...
During the initial H-1B registration period, prospective petitioners or their authorized representatives must electronically submit a separate registration naming each alien for whom they seek to file an H-1B cap-subject petition. If a sufficient number of registrations are received, USCIS will randomly select the number of registrations projected as needed to reach the...
Hospitals, clinics, and academic medical centers across the United States already face significant workforce shortages. Recent changes to the H-1B visa program may make recruiting international medical professionals even more challenging.
A combination of new government policies—including a substantial payment requirement for certain H-1B filings, increased scrutiny during adjudications,...
Many F-1 visa holders, particularly those who are engaged in OPT change their immigration status to become professional and specialty workers (H-1B workers). The H-1B cap is the Congressionally mandated limit on the number of individuals who may be granted H-1B status during each fiscal year. Most foreign nationals seeking H-1B nonimmigrant...
This NPZ Law Group webinar is designed for HR teams and employers preparing for the H-1B Lottery 2026–2027 season. We cover the registration timeline, beneficiary-centric process, and the shift to wage-weighted selection—along with what this change means for wage level strategy, SOC code planning, worksite decisions, and consistency between registration and petition...
USCIS has announced proposed revisions to the H-1B cap registration system that could significantly change how beneficiaries are selected for FY 2027.
If implemented, the changes would move the H-1B lottery away from a purely random selection model and toward a weighted system tied to wage levels.
