H-1B visa registration for 2022 to begin on Mar 9, lottery results to be notified by Mar 31
Washington, Feb 6: The registration process for the H-1B visa application for the next fiscal year will begin on March 9 and the successful applicants through a computerised draw of lots would be notified by March 31, a federal agency has announced.
The notification by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Friday came a day after the Biden administration announced that it will continue with the traditional lottery system to issue the much sought-after work visa to foreign professionals.
The initial registration period for the fiscal year 2022 H-1B cap will run from 12pm ET on Mar. 9 to 12pm ET on Mar. 25. Prospective petitioners & representatives will be able to fill out petitioner & beneficiary information & submit their registrations.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
During the registration period, prospective petitioners and representatives will be able to fill out petitioner and beneficiary information and submit their registrations, the USCS said.
The agency said if it receives enough registrations by March 25, it will randomly select registrations and send selection notifications by March 31.
The successful applicants would be able to join their new jobs in the US on October 1, when the American fiscal year starts.
As mandated by the Congress, USCIS can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas in a year. It can also issue another 20,000 H-1B visas to foreign students who have completed higher studies from a US university in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
The quick announcement by USCIS on the next year's H-1B registration process comes a day after it said that it is delaying the implementation of the Trump administration policy of allocation of H-1B through a wage and skilled based process.
The Trump era rule was scheduled to go into effect on March 9.
On January 7, the USCIS announced to do away with the traditional lottery system in deciding the successful applicants for the H-1B visas.
The USCIS had said it would prioritise wages to protect the economic interests of American workers, and better ensure that the most highly skilled foreign workers benefit from the temporary employment programme.
In a statement on Thursday, the USCIS, however, said that it is delaying the rule's effective date until December 31, 2021.
The USCIS can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas in a year. It can also issue another 20,000 H-1B visas to foreign students who have completed higher studies from a US university in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
The initial registration period for the fiscal year 2022 H-1B cap will run from 12pm ET on Mar. 9 to 12pm ET on Mar. 25. Prospective petitioners & representatives will be able to fill out petitioner & beneficiary information & submit their registrations. https://t.co/WMyd2oLHWY
— USCIS (@USCIS) February 5, 2021
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
