In late July, USCIS announced that it did not receive enough H-1B employer petitions from the initial batch of 110,791 selected lottery entries to reach the 85,000 annual cap for visas. Over the weekend of July 29-30, it therefore selected 77,609 more entries and notified entrants through their online accounts. Of the total 758,994 entries this year, the second round selections results in an overall selection rate of 25%.
This second round was an unexpected yet welcome development. Unfortunately, it still left many employers and individuals with few options for continued employment. We need to keep lobbying congress for comprehensive immigration reform. The current system provides precious few paths for willing employers and qualified candidates to fill short- and long-term jobs.