USCIS Announces it has Reached H-1B Cap for FY2021

February 16, 2021

The USCIS has announced it has “received a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year (FY) 2021.” 

FY2021 began on October 1, 2020. In its announcement, the USCIS indicated that they have sent notification of non-selection to employers’ online MyUSCIS accounts.  The status for registrations submitted for FY2021 will now show as “Not Selected.”

The registration period for FY2022 will begin on March 9, 2021 and end on March 25, 2021.  Registrants selected in the initial lottery will be notified by March 31, 2021 and will have at least 90 days to file the H-1B petition, starting on April 1, 2021.  We anticipate that there will be more than one lottery, as not all selected registrations will actually file H-1B petitions.  Last year, Weaver Schlenger received notification of selection on behalf of several clients well after the initial lottery.