The H-1B lottery season for 2025 officially kicks off today!
The annual “shore-up test” begins
International students and workers striving in the U.S.
Are you ready?
USCIS has officially announced the timeline for the first H-1B lottery after the new policies took effect and has updated the relevant application guidelines. CheersYou（清柚教育） walks you through the latest H-1B application process and policy changes.
Source: USCIS
H-1B Registration Process
Start: March 7, 12:00 PM EST
Deadline: March 24, 12:00 PM EST
Notification: Expected by March 31
Once selected, the employer must file a complete H-1B petition with USCIS within 90 days.
Registration fee: Increased to $215 per applicant this year
Note: All H-1B petitions must use the new Form I-129 this year
Source: USCIS
What is an H-1B visa?
The H-1B visa is one of the most common work visas in the U.S., specifically designed to offer employment opportunities to foreign professionals. It is a non-immigrant visa for specialty occupations and is often referred to as a "specialty occupation visa" or "temporary work visa."
Due to the annual cap and high demand, the U.S. government uses a lottery system to select beneficiaries.
Source: USCIS
H-1B holders can work legally in the U.S. for up to 3 years, with a possible extension of another 3 years, totaling 6 years. If they do not obtain a green card or change to another lawful status within 6 years, they must leave the U.S.
Review of New H-1B Policies
"One Registration Per Beneficiary" System Ensures One Entry Per Person
Last year, USCIS formally fixed a controversial loophole that allowed the same individual to register through multiple companies, preventing the abuse of multiple registrations and fraudulent entries.
Now, each registered beneficiary, regardless of how many employers submit registrations on their behalf, will only be entered into the lottery once and cannot increase their chances of selection.
Source: USCIS
Redefined “Specialty Occupation” Requirements
This year’s new rule requires that the beneficiary’s degree has a direct logical connection to the job duties, allowing reasonable flexibility. It also removes references to “Business Administration” and “Liberal Arts,” avoiding the practice of judging H-1B eligibility solely based on degree title.
Source: Federal Register
Going forward, cross-major employment and liberal arts graduates applying for H-1B will have more opportunities. As long as applicants can convincingly demonstrate the relevance of their degree to the target position, providing reasonable explanations and supporting materials, they may still meet the H-1B requirements.
Cap-Gap Extension for Smoother Transition
This year’s new rule extends the Cap-Gap deadline from October 1 to April 1 of the following year, solving the problem where beneficiaries had to stop working and wait for adjudication when the H-1B petition was still pending.
This significantly reduces employment disruptions caused by processing delays, providing international students with a longer buffer period.
Source: USCIS
Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship Now Viable
Starting this year, entrepreneurs holding more than 50% of a company’s shares can sponsor their own H-1B visa. In addition to finding an employer sponsor, international students can now start a company in the U.S. and apply for an H-1B for themselves.
While initial approval and the first extension for such petitions will be limited to 18 months, this provides a new pathway for entrepreneurial-minded international students.
Source: Federal Register
Opportunities and Challenges Coexist
The latest H-1B reforms are considered the most significant adjustments in recent years, bringing more opportunities for international students, but challenges remain.
Although the repeated registration abuse has been curbed and many processes optimized, making the competition fairer, more diverse, and flexible, the intensity of the competition should not be underestimated given that the annual H-1B cap remains unchanged.
The selection rate for FY 2025 was 28.73%, and despite a sharp decline in registrations, the selection rate did not significantly improve.
Source: USCIS
Among beneficiary countries/regions, Chinese nationals rank second in H-1B approvals but account for only 11.7%, still far behind India, which holds a dominant lead.
Source: USCIS
Moreover, the distribution of H-1B recipients by occupation remains uneven. Computer-related positions dominate, accounting for as much as 65% of approvals. They are followed by architecture, engineering, and research positions, but their share has already fallen below 10%.
Source: USCIS
This year also marks the first year of Trump’s second term, and it remains to be seen what specific measures—favorable or unfavorable—will be taken regarding H-1B policy.
Applicants are advised to plan ahead, seize policy opportunities, and arrange a reasonable application timeline.
Lastly, we wish everyone the best of luck in the H-1B lottery, a desired job offer, and a new chapter in the U.S. workplace!
