US announces second round of lottery for H-1B visas for FY 2025

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a second round of random selection for H-1B visa applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2025. The first round of lottery was held in March, which selected eligible registrations for both the regular H-1B cap and the advanced degree exemption, referred to as the master’s cap. The selected individuals were allowed to file their H-1B petitions from April 1 to June 30, 2024.

The second lottery is being conducted because the number of petitions filed during the initial period did not meet the numerical allocation for the regular H-1B cap. This means there are still slots available for the regular cap, which allows for additional registrations to be selected.