This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh, Fredrikson Immigration Department Chair, is a member.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on July 29, 2021, that it needed to select additional H-1B registrations to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2022 quota. On July 28, 2021, the agency selected additional previously submitted electronic registrations using a random selection process. The petition filing period based on registrations selected on July 28 will begin on August 2 and close on November 3, 2021. Individuals with selected registrations will have their myUSCIS accounts updated to include a selection notice, which includes details of when and where to file. Registration selection only indicates that petitioners are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions; it does not indicate that the petition will be approved.
USCIS conducted an initial random selection in March 2021 of electronic registrations submitted for the FY 2022 H-1B cap and of beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption. The initial filing period for those selected for FY 2022 was April 1, 2021, through June 30, 2021.
On July 27, 2021, a group of plaintiffs in Liu v. Mayorkas filed a motion seeking to preliminarily enjoin the defendants from implementing, applying, or enforcing the H-1B cap registration rules. They alleged that the Department of Homeland Security exceeded its authority and argued that implementation of the rules is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and not in accordance with the law. This was because there was evidence and data indicating that the FY 2022 registration process, if implemented, would lead to fraud, abuse and a likely second lottery. Arguments regarding the injunction request will be heard on August 27, 2021.
