H-1B Visa Guide for Graduate Professionals: Part 1 of 4 Part 3

The Electronic Registration Process

Introduced in 2020, this process streamlines H-1B selection via pre-registration. Here’s how it works:

Purpose: Allows employers to register candidates, determining lottery eligibility before full petition costs.

How It Works:

• Registration Period: Early March (e.g., March 1–20 for FY 2026), announced in February on USCIS.gov. Employers use my.uscis.gov.
• Requirements: Provide beneficiary details (name, passport, U.S. master’s eligibility), employer info (company, EIN, job title, wage), and attorney details if applicable.
• Fee: $10 non-refundable per registration.

Beneficiary-Centric System (FY 2025+): One lottery entry per individual, even with multiple employer registrations. FY 2025 saw 470,582 registrations, selecting 114,017 beneficiaries (24% rate).

Lottery Process:

• Advanced Degree Exemption Lottery: 20,000 visas for U.S. master’s/Ph.D. holders.
• Regular Cap Lottery: 65,000 visas, including unselected advanced degree candidates.
• Results by March 31; selected employers file Form I-129 within 90 days.

Key Considerations:

• Accuracy: Errors (e.g., wrong passport number) cause rejections. Attorneys verify details.
• Multiple Registrations: Boosts chances if multiple employers register.
• Timing: Job offers needed by January/February.

Challenges: Low selection rate, employer hesitancy, and reliance on employer diligence.

Scenario 1: Priya, the Software Engineer from India

• Background: Priya, 26, grew up in Bangalore, coding games in her teens, inspired by her engineer father’s Silicon Valley stories. She earned a U.S. master’s in computer science (STEM) at UC Berkeley, fueled by hackathons and AI passion. On 12-month OPT at a Seattle tech startup, she’s eligible for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Her machine learning algorithms boosted sales by 20%.