US delays H-1B selection final rule, lottery system to apply for upcoming season

The department of homeland security (DHS) has delayed the implementation of proposed changes to the H-1B registration system and selection process until December 31, 2021. According to the DHS, the effective date for the proposed changes to the H-1B registration system and selection process has been delayed to give US citizenship and immigration services (USCIS) more time to “develop, test, and implement the modifications”.

The delay is also supposed to provide more time for the immigration agency to train its staff and give stakeholders time to adjust to the new rule. “For the upcoming H-1B cap season, USCIS will apply the current regulations (random selection) to any registration period that takes place before Dec. 31, 2021,” the immigration agency said in a statement.

The USCIS had announced the H-1B selection final rule to amend the existing random selection process for H-1B registrations for filing cap-subject petitions.