On May 17th, the USCIS announced it had completed data entry for all fiscal year 2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in the computer-generated random selection process, including those selected under the U.S. advanced degree exemption. Now, the Service will begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected. This process usually takes approximately 8-14 weeks to be completed.
We will provide clients with updates as and when we receive rejected packets. Clients have already received confirmation and receipts electronically. Additionally, we will provide cancelled checks and rejection notices to complete the filing process for this year.
Clients have been curious as to how they fared this year.
Well, although the USCIS will release a complete list of petitioners with the number of petitions selected, there is a place to look up this information currently available on online. Earlier this year, the USCIS launched the H-1B Employer Data Hub; The H-1B Employer Data Hub includes data from 2009 through 2019 on employers who have submitted petitions to employ H-1B nonimmigrant workers. Data can be queried by fiscal year, employer name, city, state, zip code, and NAICS code. The H-1B Employer Data Hub has data on the first decisions USCIS makes on petitions for initial and continuing employment. It identifies employers by the last four digits of their tax identification. You can also download annual and query-specific data in .csv format.
Our own experience has been a mixed bag. Several employers who only filed one petition found success. In other words, a “hole in one”. In other cases, petitioners who filed multiple petitions saw selection at an average of between 40-65% (a double bogey at best). Clearly, some did better than others. Perhaps, this was a result of the algorithm, or the sheer randomness of the selection process. Either way, this process is now done!
Next year, the USCIS will launch a different process for H-1B selection including, a pre-registration phase for employers.