Things to know before H-1B visa stamping season

Here is what’s involved in getting an H-1B visa stamped for those picked up in FY 2024 lottery

It’s almost stamping time for most of those applicants who got picked in the H-1B lottery for the fiscal year 2024. The H-1B visa registration process for FY 2024 that started in January follows a series of processes beginning October 2023 before the candidates become eligible to live and work in the United States.

But as summer hits, it is also the time for all H-1B applicants outside of the US to apply for H-1B visa stamping at their respective US embassies or consulates.

Read: H-1B visa stamping may soon be allowed inside the US (September 30, 2022)

So, if you are currently awaiting a stamping or are a candidate who is interested in knowing the processes involved in getting an H-1B visa this timeline of events and procedures may be helpful for you.

Escalating demands each year
So, no matter what the studies and surveys say about people looking for alternate work destinations than the US, the numbers do not lie. And the truth remains that the demand for H-1B visas seems to escalate every year. Just a quick round up of the latest figures would sum it up for you.

For the fiscal year 2023, USCIS received a total of 484,000 registrations. In FY 2024 USCIS released the number of registrations that came at 780,884.

This clearly shows that the demand for an H-1B visa has really gone up by leaps and bounds. It may be noted that this is the number of registrations for an available quota of just 85,000 visas.

Since the demand is way above the available quota, typically the time of H-1B filling is filled with both hope and luck for a majority of applicants. However, the good news is that if you were unlucky one year you can try again next year too.

Read: Petition seeks H-1B visa stamping within US (May 23, 2022)

Fiscal year, different from calendar year
The USCIS issues H-1B visas based on the fiscal year timeline not the calendar year. So, it is important to keep this timeline in mind. For instance, the USCIS Fiscal Year 2024 starts from Oct 1, 2023, and ends on Sep 30, 2024.

You must also keep in mind that the USCIS begins accepting H-1B petitions for the next fiscal year about six months before the start of the fiscal year. This year, the process began from April 1, 2023.

Stamping and working
The H-1B applicants outside the United States need to get their H-1B visas stamped after their H-1B petition is processed by the USCIS – a process that can take anywhere between a few weeks to even months.

But once it is done, it’s time to get an appointment at the consulate or the embassy to get the H-1B visa stamped.

Read: Current Status of U.S. Visa Services By Country – May 2023 (May 8, 2023)

USCIS fiscal year 2024 starts from Oct 1, 2023. If your petition was approved and you got the visa stamped, you can enter the US and are eligible to work from Oct 1, 2023.

For those who are already in the US, the status will change to H-1B beginning this date. The employers who submit the applications for candidates are for hiring them to work in the United states beginning Oct 1.