In the initial FY 2022 lottery in March 2021, USCIS drew just 87,500 of 308,613 registrations to meet the 85,000 quota, or 28% of the total number of registrations. Though there were two more draws to pick more registrations to meet the 85,000 quota, the selection rate at the end stands at a 43% for FY 2022. For FY 2023, the number of registrations is expected to only increase due to the simplified registration process. Given this, it would be good to be prepared with some alternatives to the H-1B. Find below some common options that are available. But based on your circumstances, an immigration attorney would guide your best.
Apart from the above list there are some other alternatives:
- P-1 Visa is a specialty US visa exclusively for athletes and coaches or support staff.
- Other Country-Specific Visas – Singapore/Chile (H-1B1) and Australia (E-3): Nationals of Singapore or Chile may be eligible for the H-1B1 visa while Australian citizens may be eligible for E-3 visa.
- E-1/E-2 Treaty Trader or Investor: The E-1/E-2 visas allow nationals of countries with which the U.S. has trade treaties to invest an amount in the U.S. and receive an E-1 (treaty trader) or E-2 (treaty investor) visa.
- F-1 OPT/F-1 CPT: F-1 student visa holders who have completed a STEM degree can apply for a STEM OPT extension. The F-1 CPT option may allow for continued employment authorization to students, depending on schools that offer it, availability and eligibility.
These alternatives to the H-1B visa will help you keep your options open in case lottery doesn’t work in your favour.
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