H-1B Lottery Registrations Drop Nearly 40% in 2024 After Crackdown on Duplicate Submissions
The Associated Press reports that after USCIS implemented a 'one person, one lottery' rule, H-1B lottery registrations fell to 470,342 in 2024, a 38% drop from last year, while the number of applicants remained roughly flat, indicating a sharp decrease in duplicate submissions. The article recalls a 2022 case of one person filing 83 registrations and presents reactions from tech companies, critics, and labor groups.
Associated Press — After the immigration agency cracked down on fraud and abuse, the number of H-1B lottery applications for skilled workers in the United States fell sharply by nearly 40%.
In the past, some individuals exploited the system by submitting multiple applications—sometimes even fraudulent ones—to increase their chances of being selected. As selection rates declined, tech giants struggled to recruit needed talent and urged relevant reforms.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) acknowledged fraud and abuse and this year mandated that each applicant may participate in only one lottery, regardless of whether they receive one or 50 job offers.
The number of lottery applications conducted at the end of March this year was 470,342, a 38% decrease from last year's 758,994. The number of applicants remained roughly flat, at about 442,000 this year versus 446,000 last year, indicating a significant reduction in duplicate applications.
From 2021 to 2023, lottery applications surged threefold because the government no longer required applicants to mail cumbersome paper documents. USCIS stated at the time that these time-consuming procedures could be completed after being selected, requiring only a $10 electronic registration fee. This measure lowered the barrier to entry but also inadvertently created an opportunity for companies and employees to submit applications in bulk. USCIS said that in 2022, one individual submitted lottery applications for 83 job offers.
In a notice to companies, applicants, and their representatives, USCIS stated that this year's decline in applications "indicates that attempts to gain an unfair advantage are far fewer than in previous years."
The H-1B visa, initiated in 1990, is granted to foreign nationals with a bachelor's degree or higher in fields such as science and engineering where it is difficult to recruit qualified talent. Critics argue that the program allows companies to hire foreign workers at lower wages and with fewer labor protections.
Indian tech outsourcing company Infosys was the top employer of H-1B visa holders in 2023. Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and Google also ranked in the top ten for the program.
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U.S. college students can work for three years under the OPT practical training visa and then attempt to apply for an H-1B visa. Because these applicants have stable jobs, they do not need to submit multiple lottery applications. However, this also puts them at a disadvantage, and some therefore choose to work in Canada or Europe.
USCIS Director Ur Jaddou stated that to ensure each worker has "only one chance at the lottery," USCIS quickly reformed the lottery process, deeming the reform urgent. USCIS found that some companies collaborated to submit lottery applications for the same group of applicants.
"We want to ensure that visas are granted to talent who will contribute to the country's development; abusing the system benefits no one," Jaddou said publicly at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, in March.
Many tech companies and business groups urged immediate reform. Intel Corporation stated in October that their selection rate "has been steadily declining, hindering efforts to expand semiconductor design and manufacturing in the United States."
The chipmaker wrote to USCIS saying, "The system intended to help manage the H-1B lottery process has instead become a source of frustration and disappointment."
Critics of the H-1B visa generally welcomed the changes but considered them insufficient.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) wrote to USCIS, saying this year's lottery reform "takes some steps in the right direction but falls far short of the comprehensive reform needed." Like other critics, the labor organization wants visas to be granted to companies offering the highest wages rather than through a random lottery—a reform that Trump attempted to implement during his term.
