New H-1B lottery rules delayed until 12/31, random lottery as usual

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on March 4 that the new H-1B visa lottery regulations, originally scheduled to take effect on March 9, will be delayed until December 31 of this year, prior to which the lottery will be conducted randomly as usual.

USCIS announced last month on the 7th the final revision of the H-1B work visa program to determine the lottery order by salary level. The goal is to protect U.S. jobs and the economic competitiveness of the United States.

USCIS issued a statement on the 4th of this month updating the effective date of the new rule to December 31, 2021, stating that this will give USCIS more Time to prepare for operations under the new rule, test the lottery mechanism, train USCIS officers, and give all relevant personnel an adjustment period.

The U.S. issues approximately 85,000 H-1B visas each year, including in the fields of science and technology, engineering, and Medicine, which are valid for three years and may be renewed upon expiration; there are currently approximately 600,000 domestic H-1B work visa holders, mostly from China and India.