Recently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the second round of the H-1B lottery has concluded. The intense competition for the H-1B lottery is well-known: according to official data previously released by the immigration agency, in the first round of the H-1B lottery for the fiscal year 2024, the agency selected 110,791 valid registrations from 758,994 valid registrants, resulting in an acceptance rate of 14.6%, the lowest record since the inception of the H-1B lottery program. So, what is the acceptance rate for the second round? Let’s take a look with WorldWay Immigration.
Available slots for the second round: 648,203
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received 758,994 valid registrations for the fiscal year 2024. After deducting the 110,791 selected in the first round, there are still 648,203 available for the second round of the lottery.
Slots for the second round: 40,684
The final number of approved H-1B applications each year is only 85,000. After deducting 40% of the 110,791 selected in the first round, there are 40,684 slots remaining.
Acceptance rate for the second round: 6.3%
Due to nearly 650,000 applicants in the second round and only about 40,000 slots remaining, the acceptance rate for the second round will drop to 6.3%. The acceptance rate for the first round this year was 14.6%, indicating a dramatic decline in the second round.
Whether there will be a third round of the lottery this year remains uncertain. WorldWay Immigration Group will keep a close watch and share any new information promptly. From the above data, it is evident that there is significant uncertainty in the U.S. H-1B visa application process, and competition is extremely fierce.
As the primary pathway for obtaining work visas to legally stay in the U.S. (including international students), the competition for H-1B visas has become increasingly intense. For a long time, there has been a "surplus of applicants and a shortage of opportunities," and such a low acceptance rate has left many international students feeling anxious. With the acceptance rate for H-1B visas being low and the number of applications increasing year by year, the probability of securing a visa through the lottery is naturally decreasing. Therefore, for many applicants, it is advisable to prepare a Plan B early to facilitate their stay in the U.S.
For families with children already studying in the U.S. or those planning to study in the U.S., if they wish to work and live in the U.S. without the hassle of the H-1B visa, parents of international students might consider early planning: enabling their children to obtain green card status, allowing them to study and stay! For example, through the EB-5 investment immigration program, parents can prepare a U.S. green card for their children in advance, which will significantly enhance their chances of being accepted into prestigious schools and ensure a stable future for the family. After graduation, children will no longer be constrained by OPT and H-1B, having more quality options and fair opportunities in internships and employment.
"Parents love their children, so they plan for their future," and by planning for their status in advance, children can have peace of mind. Currently, it is an excellent time to plan for children's status through EB-5 investment immigration. The new EB-5 legislation has allocated visa quotas and established three categories of "reserved visas." Investors who meet the conditions for any of the "reserved visa" categories do not need to wait for a queue, providing a convenient pathway for Chinese investors to immigrate to the U.S. Notably, 20% is reserved for rural TEA projects, which not only enjoy reserved visa quotas but also receive priority processing from the immigration agency. Additionally, applicants meeting certain conditions can submit both the I-526E/I-526 immigration application and the I-485 adjustment of status application simultaneously.
The U.S. EB-5 investment immigration application has relaxed conditions, with no restrictions on age, education, language, business, or work experience backgrounds. One application allows the entire family to immigrate to the U.S., where they can live and work anywhere in the country. Children can enjoy free public education (K-12), and spouses and unmarried children under 21 can immigrate together. For investors with a clear need to immigrate to the U.S. and plan for their children's education, now is the time to act.
Currently, the popular "Florida Lakeside Jewish Community" EB-5 rural project offers Chinese investors an excellent opportunity to quickly obtain a U.S. green card! This project complies with the new legislation as a rural TEA project, featuring unique advantages such as no queue, a project employment multiplier of up to 5.44, and EB-5 funds enjoying first-priority mortgage guarantees. Moreover, this project is supported by a $51.4 million infrastructure fund from the U.S. government, and a dedicated website has been established at https://lakefrontestatescdd.org/ for investors to inquire about funding sources. The project has strong market demand, and the first phase of residential units has already sold out. This high-quality rural EB-5 project is a rare opportunity, and as the available slots decrease after rounds of purchasing, good projects won't wait for anyone. Interested parties should act quickly to subscribe!
WorldWay Immigration Group, ranked among Asia's top 500 brands, has focused on investment immigration for over 20 years and has been deeply involved in the U.S. investment immigration industry for 17 years, demonstrating a spirit of innovation and leadership in the industry. As one of the first institutions to promote the U.S. EB-5 investment immigration program in China, it was among the first to propose the concept of selecting quality projects and established a professional analyst team. It has also emphasized the importance of project selection in U.S. EB-5 investments and has been sincere in its dealings with clients. WorldWay Immigration has repeatedly won the "Best Immigration Agency Award" at the U.S. EB-5 Annual Conference. Senior executives of WorldWay have met with several U.S. Congress members and maintain good interactions with various U.S. lawmakers, governors, mayors, senior officials, and well-known figures in the EB-5 industry, making it an ideal choice for your U.S. immigration projects!
For more details, please send us a private message in the comments section or call the WorldWay Immigration service hotline: Mainland China: 400-138-2929, Hong Kong: (852)2802 8798.
Note: 1.* To obtain first-priority mortgage rights for EB-5 funds, certain conditions must be met. For detailed information, please refer to the project issuance documents. 2.* This information does not constitute any form of offer and is for informational reference only. To improve readability, the information published in this document has been excerpted and summarized. Any legally binding detailed information should be based solely on the official English investment documents provided by the project party at the time of subscription. * Investors should make their own investment judgments and decisions based on the official English investment documents of this project. * Investment involves risks; please choose wisely.