Dear Sophie: Last Minute H-1Bs, O-1A & EB-1A Extraordinary Prep for Graduation
Here’s another edition from “Dear Sophie,” the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies.
“Your questions are vital to the spread of knowledge that empowers people around the world to push beyond limits and chase their dreams,” says Sophie Acorn, a Silicon Valley immigration attorney. “Whether you’re in people management, a founder, or looking for a job in Silicon Valley, I’d love to answer your questions in my next column.”
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Dear Sophie,
How many people are employers going to enroll in the H-1B lottery this year? Will there be fewer because of all the layoffs?
Is it still possible to include additional candidates before the deadline next week?
– Fast founder
Dear Fast,
We’re in the middle of H-1B season! The registration window for this year’s annual H-1B lottery is currently open at USCIS.
If you are considering taking on (additional) candidates and your immigration attorney has already reached capacity, your company can self-submit any last-minute registrations by following the following: The step-by-step instructions from USCIS.
Image Credits: Joanna Bunjak / Sophie Acorn (Opens in a new window)
Employers should note that no new H-1B registrations can be submitted after the registration portal closes at noon ET on March 17, the Friday of next week.
How many people are registered? Nobody knows. Due to the massive layoffs in technology, many people are looking for work. On the other hand, there are still a lot of job opportunities in technology for which employers want to sponsor immigrant candidates. In addition, hundreds of thousands of F-1 college graduates work on regular OPT and VOTE OPT each year in hopes that their employers will sponsor them in the lottery.
The 2023 Immigration trends report actually predicts that employers will submit a bit more H-1B registrations then in 2022, with a record of over 483,000.
The lottery has 85,000 openings for new H-1Bs each year, including a subset of 20,000 reserved for individuals with higher degrees from U.S. colleges and universities.
