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Questions & Answers: USCIS Issues Guidance Memorandum on Establishing the "Employee-Employer Relationship" in H-1B Petitions

Introduction

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 cap on Monday April 2, 2012. Cases will be considered accepted on the date that USCIS takes possession of a properly filed petition with the correct fee. USCIS will not rely upon the date that the petition is postmarked.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sent this bulletin at 03/27/2012 06:07 PM EDT

Dear Stakeholder,

The Department has posted new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs.

To view FAQ please check the attachment.

Release Date

12/23/2025

WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security is amending regulations governing the H-1B work visa selection process to prioritize the allocation of visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens to better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers. The new rule replaces the random lottery for selecting visa recipients with a process that gives greater weight to those with higher skills. 

Published by: Financial Express - January 8, 2026
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/investing-abroad-my-h-1b-approved-but-stuck-in-a-34-month-queue-attorney-shares-legal-fixes-for-missing-form-i-824-4100306/

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:

Although precise dates and processes for this year are not yet clear, we recommend planning and initiating the H-1B lottery registration now to ensure it is ready to submit when registrations open in March 2026. 

Release Date

01/30/2026