On January 30, 2024, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") announced that it will start the registration period for the H-1B Cap for the 2025 fiscal year starting at noon (EST) on March 6 through noon (EST) on March 22, 2024. USCIS will notify the employers selected for the lottery the following month.
During the registration period, employers and their legal representatives can register to participate in the upcoming lottery if they wish to sponsor a foreign national to work temporarily in the United States under the H-1B program.
The H-1B program allows an employer to petition the USCIS to permit an employer in the United States to hire a skilled foreign worker in a professional or specialty occupation (that requires at least a bachelor's degree or higher in the related area). The H-1B petition allows a foreign national to work in the U.S. for an initial period of three years. The employer may seek to renew the foreign national's employment for an additional three years.
If employers are considering hiring employees on student, exchange visitor visas or other workers on non-immigrant visas who are not able to work lawfully in the United States, GRSM's Immigration & Naturalization Practice Group may be able to assist in determining the eligibility of a current or potential employee before the registration period begins, and after that assist with the registration process.