The H-1B work visa is the most commonly used work visa for newly hired professionals. Last year, more than 400,000 individual applicants were registered for only 85,000 available new H-1 Lottery sponsorships. Employers who want Borene Law Firm's help with 2023 H-1 work visa lottery projects should call Penny Van Kampen at Borene Law Firm 612.321.0082 or send an email to pvankampen@borene.com before Monday, February 28, 2023.

After the 2023 H-1B quota is reached, there will be no new cap-subject H-1B work sponsorships available until October 1, 2024.

H-1B eligibility requirements include a Bachelor's degree or higher and a qualified U.S. job offer. The window for H-1B registration opens on March 1, 2023. We advise preparing H-1 Lottery applications now to meet the registration deadline.

Read from Borene Law Firm, FAQ's about H-1 Work Visas

Read from USCIS, FY 2024 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 1

Read from USCIS, H-1B Electronic Registration Process

Since the newly elected Congress convened in January, multiple hearings have been held and many immigration law proposals have been made by members of Congress from both parties. Based on the first immigration hearings in the Republican-held House of Representatives on February 7, 2023, prospects for bipartisan support for any immigration law changes in 2023 appear uncertain at best, doubtful at worst.

Read from Forbes, The Outlook On H-1B Visas and Immigration In 2023

Read from Roll Call, Senators fight partisan headwinds in pursuit of immigration deal

Read from The Hill, Partisan rift widens on immigration policy, as seen in two House hearings

In late January 2023, the U.S. State Department published its annual Visa Office report for FY 2022. The extreme wait times for visa appointments at U.S. consulates that were primarily caused by COVID-19 shutdowns during 2020 and 2021 are now diminishing in many countries.

Despite the recent progress reducing visa processing backlogs, waiting times for appointments are still long at many consular posts including India, Brazil, Mexico and other countries.

Read from Bloomberg Law, Long Waits Still Haunt Travelers Even as Visa Issuances Rebound

Read from Borene Law Firm, FAQ's about Consular Processing for Nonimmigrant Visas (Temporary Visas)

Read from Borene Law Firm, FAQ's about Consular Processing for Immigrant Visas (Green Cards)

A recent article in Forbes also cites expert economists' analyses of the significant contributions to the growth of the U.S. economy from international graduates of U.S. universities with degrees in STEM fields.

Read from Forbes, Research Finds International Students Become Valuable Immigrants

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Tip of the Month

On January 24, 2023, USCIS announced that an extra 60 days beyond the stated due date will apply to many important USCIS notices, including Requests for Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny and certain other USCIS notices.

The extension applies to certain USCIS notices that were issued by USCIS between March 1, 2020 and March 23, 2023.

Read from USCIS, USCIS Extends COVID-19-related Flexibilities