iNDICA News Bureau-
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released data indicating a significant decline in H-1B registrations for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 cap. While the number of unique individuals registering (beneficiaries) remained relatively steady compared to FY 2024, the total number of eligible registrations saw a substantial decrease – over 38% lower– than the record highs of the previous year.
Eligible H-1B registrations plummeted from 758,994 in FY 2024 to 470,342 in FY 2025. The number of unique beneficiaries participating in the annual H-1B lottery declined marginally from 446,000 in FY 2024 to 442,000 in FY 2025. In contrast, the number of unique employers submitting H-1B registrations slightly increased from 52,000 in FY 2024 to 52,700 in FY 2025. USCIS selected 114,017 unique beneficiaries, resulting in 120,603 selected H-1B registrations during the initial FY 2025 lottery, translating to a selection rate of approximately 25.6 percent.
The data suggests that USCIS’s efforts to combat fraud, along with the implementation of a new “beneficiary-centric” selection process for FY 2025, are having a positive impact on ensuring the integrity of the H-1B lottery system.
The agency emphasized its ongoing commitment to deterring and preventing fraudulent activity in the registration process. USCIS highlights its continued efforts to investigate, reject, and revoke petitions suspected to be fraudulent. This includes potential referrals for criminal prosecution when necessary.
For those selected in the lottery, the H-1B petition filing period will conclude on June 30, 2024. For those whose registrations were selected in the lottery, the H-1B petition filing window closes on June 30, 2024. It remains unclear whether USCIS will conduct additional selection rounds for FY 2025.
Notably, the reasons behind the decrease in eligible registrations cannot merely be attributed to the USCIS anti-fraud measures. Additional factors such as economic conditions, employer hiring trends, or changes in the H-1B visa application process could be the other contributory factors behind this decrease.
The H-1B visa is highly sought after by U.S. employers looking to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
This year’s “beneficiary-centric” registration system prioritizes legitimate applicants. It tackles the past issue of duplicate applications for the same person. This aligns with USCIS’s mission: attracting high-skilled foreign workers to fill U.S. workforce gaps, while preventing abuse. USCIS’s continuous efforts to refine the H-1B process and fight fraud are essential to keeping the program trustworthy and beneficial for both American employers and qualified foreign workers.
