Update on H1B Lottery and Expiration of H1B & L-1 Travel Ban
Presidential Proclamation banning the entry of H1B and L1 visa holders has expired
Presidential Proclamation 10052, which temporarily suspended the entry of certain H-1B, H-2B, J (for certain categories within the Exchange Visitor Program), and L nonimmigrants on March 31, 2021.
According to the U.S. Department of State, visa applicants who have not yet been interviewed or scheduled for an interview will have their applications prioritized and processed in accordance with existing phased resumption of services guidance. Other country-specific travel bans such as those pertaining to China, Iran, Brazil, and the Schengen area countries remain in effect.
USCIS announces the Initial H1B Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed
On March 30, 2021, USCIS announced that it during the initial registration period and randomly selected from the registrations, notifying all prospective petitioners who have been selected.
Registrants’ online accounts will now show one of the following statuses: Submitted, Selected, Denied, or Invalidated-Failed Payment. Cases which show “Submitted” indicate that the registration has been submitted and is eligible for selection. If the initial selection process has been completed, this registration remains eligible, unless subsequently invalidated, for selection in any subsequent selections for the fiscal year for which it was submitted. Cases which show “Denied” were only denied for duplicate registrations.
Those who have been selected can now file their H1B petitions starting on April 1, 2021. Last year, USCIS conducted a second round of selections in August, and it is possible USCIS will conduct a second round again this year.
Please feel free to contact our office with any questions regarding H-1B visas or any other U.S. immigration matters.