H-1B Lottery: Under Trump Administration | Free Attorney Webinar

On February 18, 2025, we held a comprehensive webinar on recent updates to the H-1B lottery for 2025. This webinar is designed for:

• Current H-1B visa holders
• International professionals seeking employment in the U.S.
• U.S. employers hiring foreign talent
• Students and recent graduates
• HR professionals and recruiters

Timeline for the Upcoming H-1B lottery:

• H-1B CAP registrations open: March 7th, 2025 at 12 pm EST
• H-1B CAP registrations close: March 24, 2025 at 12 pm EST
• H-1B Lottery Results: USCIS will notify employers of selected registrations in the last week of March 2025
• H-1B Petition Filing Window: Employers can file petitions for selected registrants between April 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025 with a start date no earlier than October 1, 2025

Key Changes:

• New edition for the I-129 form
  • New edition date of 01/17/2025 will only be accepted
• Increased scrutiny
  • Tightening requirements for specialty occupation. Anticipate increased scrutiny of H1B petitions under the Trump administration, especially regarding whether the position truly requires a specialty occupation and whether there is a legitimate employer-employee relationship.
  • Stricter wage requirements
  • Increased Requests for Evidence (RFE)
• Updated fees
  • The registration fee is now $215
• Beneficiary-Centric Process
• Owner Beneficiary H1B Filings: As of January 17, 2025, if a business owner has more than a 50% interest in a U.S. company, the company can file an H1B petition on their behalf. This allows entrepreneurs and startup founders to be both the petitioning employer and the beneficiary.

Expert Insights

The expert panel, including Managing Attorney Shilpa Malik, Attorney Brian Thompto and Attorney Katiana Quindemil, offered valuable insights into the upcoming H-1 lottery. Attorney Malik provided helpful tips on the new beneficiary self-sponsor process, the fees to expect, and important do’s and don’ts. Attorney Thompto discussed the potential for increased scrutiny in the process and the requirements for specialty occupations, while Attorney Quindemil expalined CAP-exempt applications and how they work.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

The H-1B visa is a highly competitive visa. We covered expected changes under the Trump Administration, and helpful tips for entering the lottery. During the webinar, attendess asked questions around the H-1B proess, and our attorneys provided answers. The webinar offered crucial information for registering the H-1B lottery. If you are looking for more guidnace or have questions about the H-1B process, please reach out to our team!