H-1B selection rate historically low. Possible reforms in the registration process on the way.

On April 28, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) reported 780,884 H-1B registrations for FY 2024, an increase of 61% over the 483,927 registrations for FY 2023. This year, the selection rate was at a shocking 14.6% low. This is extremely low compared to 26.9% for FY 2023 and 43.8% for FY 2022. For FY 2021, nearly half, or 46.1%, were selected in the H-1B lottery process.

According to USCIS, H-1B registrations set a record for FY 2024 due to multiple entries for the same individuals, which will likely cause the agency to change the H-1B lottery process. Reforms could increase the selection rate in next year’s lottery. 

Our firm’s selection rate was higher: 27.3%; however, we had an unusually high number of lottery registrant clients with master’s degrees, which improves the chance of selection in the H-1B lottery. 

USCIS has discussed linking the lottery to a beneficiary’s passport number. This would mean that each individual would have an equal chance at a selection regardless of the number of employers petitioning for that individual. 

There is a staggering demand for highly educated scientists and engineers, many of whom need H-1Bs. Despite the high profile layoffs from the tech sector, there remains a strong job market for STEM related fields, most notably in engineering, computer science, and other tech related fields. Foreign nationals account for 74% of the full-time graduate students in electrical engineering and 72% in computer and information sciences.

Discussions about possible H-1B reform are ongoing. It is unclear whether there will be an additional lottery selection this year. We will update this blog as we hear more about possible H-1B reform and about any additional H-1B lottery.