In an unexpected update for employers and prospective H-1B visa beneficiaries, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a second round of H-1B cap selections for the fiscal year 2025. This decision comes after determining that additional selections are necessary to meet the FY 2025 H-1B cap numerical allocation.

Summary of the Announcement

In March, USCIS conducted the initial random selection for properly submitted electronic registrations for the FY 2025 H-1B cap, including beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption. Only petitioners with selected registrations were eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions during the initial filing period from April 1 through June 30, 2024. In this original selection round, USCIS selected 120,603 registrations to potentially fill the 85,000 H-1B visas available. 

On July 30, 2024, USCIS announced that they have decided to select additional registrations for unique beneficiaries to reach the FY 2025 regular cap numerical allocation. This second round of selections will use a random process, and selected petitioners will be notified that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration. It is important to note that there will not be a second selection for the advanced degree exemption, as enough registrations were selected to meet the FY 2025 master’s cap numerical allocation. However, those that filed in the master’s cap are still eligible for the regular cap, and their registrations can still be selected in this second round.

For those selected in this second round, their USCIS online accounts will be updated to include a selection notice, detailing when and where to file their petitions.

Awaiting Selection Notices

As of this article (morning of July 30, 2024), we have not received any selection notices from this second round. However, we anticipate that these notices will be distributed in the coming days. Once notified, selected petitioners will still have a 90-day window to file their H-1B cap-subject petitions.

Stay Updated

We encourage everyone to keep an eye on our social media platforms for the latest updates as they come in. This will ensure that you have the most current information and can act promptly when selections are announced. We will provide updates as they come in.

For further details or assistance, feel free to contact our office. We are here to support your company and you through every step of the H-1B petition process.

By: Steven brown

Steven Brown is a Partner at Reddy Neumann Brown PC where he works in the Non-immigrant visa department and leads the Litigation Team. His practice covers all phases of the non-immigration visa process including filing H-1B, L-1, E-3, H-4, and H-4 EAD petitions. In the last two years, Steven has successfully handled over 1,000 non-immigrant visa petitions including filing petitions, responding to any necessary Requests for Evidence, and drafting motions and appeals. He has also become a key resource for F-1 students that seek guidance on properly complying with the F-1 visa regulations and any OPT or CPT issues they may have. Additionally, Steven holds a weekly conference call for companies that are part of one of the largest organizations for IT Services companies in America.