Now is the Time to Prepare for the H-1B Cap Season

The H-1B nonimmigrant professional and specialty occupation work visas allow foreign nationals to acquire temporary work visas in the US based on a bachelor’s or equivalent degree from a US institution. These are among the most in-demand visas for non-immigrants because they are only limited to individuals in specialized fields. The H-1B employment visa process has a start date of October 1st every year, in which 85,000 visas are rolled out; however, the applications far exceed the limited quota.

H-1B Pre-Registration for March 2022

The H-1B is an employer-sponsored visa, requiring the employer to apply for authorization. The USCIS generally rolls out approved H-1Bs several months before the new fiscal year. However, since 2020, the USCIS has initiated a pre-registration period that allows the employers to access and file petitions starting in early March. This new regulation was implemented to deal with the extraordinary numbers of petitions submitted against a limited number of visas available.

The USCIS has announced that the H-1B visa applications for FY-2022 will likely be available through the registration process in early March, and the registration period ending in late-March. Out of 85,000 applications, 20,000 are pre-allocated for U.S. Master’s degree holders. Therefore, whether you’re an employer of a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree holder, now is the time for you to start preparing for the H-1B Registration process to avoid missing out on the H-1B visa lottery.

You can apply online for the H-1B registration. You must submit only one registration per foreign national. Multiple registrations by the same employer will lead to disqualification. However, the foreign national you applied for can submit another H-1B registration with a different employer.

Exemptions from the H-1B Cap

If you are an organization seeking the prospective employment of an H-1B nonimmigrant, you don’t need to go through the process under certain circumstances. Organizations that can offer cap-exempt H-1B nonimmigrant Visas include:

• Government research organizations
• Non-profit research organizations
• Higher education institutions

The H-1B Pre-registration cap season is just around the corner, and if you are a US-based employer looking to employ a foreign national as a professional and specialty occupation worker for an initial three (3) year period with an additional three (3) year extension, this is the time to start preparing to claim your spot against the slim chances.

If you have any questions about how these immigration and nationality laws in the United States may impact you or your family or want to access additional information about United States or Canadian immigration and nationality laws, please feel free to get in touch with the immigration and nationality lawyers at NPZ Law Group. You can send us an email at info@visaserve.com, or you can call us at 201-670-0006 extension 104. In addition, we invite you to find more information on our website at www.visaserve.com