{"abstract":"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) proposes to amend its regulations governing the process by which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) selects H-1B registrations for filing of H-1B cap-subject petitions (or H-1B petitions for any year in which the registration requirement will be suspended), by generally first selecting registrations based on the highest Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) prevailing wage level that the proffered wage equals or exceeds for the relevant Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code and area(s) of intended employment. This proposed rule would not affect the order of selection as between the regular cap and the advanced degree exemption. The wage level ranking would occur first for the regular cap selection and then for the advanced degree exemption. Rote ordering of petitions leads to impossible results because petitions are submitted simultaneously. A random lottery system is reasonable, but inconsiderate of Congress's statutory purposes for the H-1B program and its administration. Instead, a registration system that faithfully implements the INA while prioritizing registrations based on wage level within each cap would increase the average and median wage levels of H-1B beneficiaries who would be selected for further processing under the H-1B allocations. Moreover, it would maximize H-1B cap allocations, so that they more likely would go to the best and brightest workers.","action":"Notice of proposed rulemaking.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY","name":"Homeland Security Department","id":227,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/homeland-security-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/227","parent_id":null,"slug":"homeland-security-department"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2020/11/02/2020-24259.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"214","title":8}],"citation":"85 FR 69236","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2020-12-02","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Written comments must be submitted on this proposed rule on or before December 2, 2020. Comments on the collection of information (see Paperwork Reduction Act section) must be received on or before January 4, 2021. Comments on both the proposed rule and the collection of information received on or before December 2, 2020 will be considered by DHS and USCIS. Only comments on the collection of information received between December 3, 2020 and January 4, 2021 will be considered by DHS and USCIS. Comments received after December 2, 2020 on the proposed rule other than those specific to the collection of information will not be considered by DHS and USCIS.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["CIS No. 2674-20","DHS Docket No. USCIS-2020-0019"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"I129-FRM-H1BSelectionProcess-FinalRule-12182020_1","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1118"},{"title":"I129-FRM-TOC-H1BSelectionProcess-FinalRule-12182020","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1117"},{"title":"I129-INS-H1BSelectionProcess-FinalRule-12182020","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1116"},{"title":"I129-INS-TOC-H1BSelectionProcess-FinalRule-12182020","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1115"},{"title":"H1B RegTool-008-ScreenMockups-H1B Selection Process FinalRule","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1114"},{"title":"H1B RegTool-008-H1B Selection Process FinalRule-Copy Deck","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1113"},{"title":"H-1B Comment - Summary Stripe comment","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1110"},{"title":"I- 129, Table of Changes - Form","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-0007"},{"title":"I- 129 Table of Changes- Instructions","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-0006"},{"title":"I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-0005"}],"agency_name":"USCIS","documents":[{"comment_count":1491,"comment_start_date":"2020-11-02","updated_at":"2023-02-28T22:41:21.880-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/USCIS-2020-0019-0001","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"USCIS-2020-0019-0001","comment_end_date":"2021-01-05","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":13,"id":"USCIS-2020-0019","title":"Modification of Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions"}],"document_number":"2020-24259","effective_on":null,"end_page":69265,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2020/11/02/2020-24259.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/02/2020-24259/modification-of-registration-requirement-for-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b-petitions","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2020-24259?publication_date=2020-11-02","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2020-11-02/2020-24259/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":30,"page_views":{"count":13913,"last_updated":"2026-10-24 08:15:05 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-11-02/pdf/2020-24259.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-24259.pdf?1603988124","publication_date":"2020-11-02","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2020/11/02/2020-24259.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1615-AC61":{"issue":"202010","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1615-AC61/modification-of-registration-requirement-for-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b-petitions-","title":"Modification of Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions\n\n\n","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202010&RIN=1615-AC61&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Economically Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["1615-AC61"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"I129-FRM-H1BSelectionProcess-FinalRule-12182020_1","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1118"},{"title":"I129-FRM-TOC-H1BSelectionProcess-FinalRule-12182020","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1117"},{"title":"I129-INS-H1BSelectionProcess-FinalRule-12182020","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1116"},{"title":"I129-INS-TOC-H1BSelectionProcess-FinalRule-12182020","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1115"},{"title":"H1B RegTool-008-ScreenMockups-H1B Selection Process FinalRule","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1114"},{"title":"H1B RegTool-008-H1B Selection Process FinalRule-Copy Deck","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1113"},{"title":"H-1B Comment - Summary Stripe comment","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-1110"},{"title":"I- 129, Table of Changes - Form","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-0007"},{"title":"I- 129 Table of Changes- Instructions","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-0006"},{"title":"I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-0005"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1615-AC61/modification-of-registration-requirement-for-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b-petitions-","title":"Modification of Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions\n\n\n"},"comments_count":1491,"agency_id":"USCIS","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=USCIS-2020-0019","supporting_documents_count":13,"docket_id":"USCIS-2020-0019","document_id":"USCIS-2020-0019-0001","regulation_id_number":"1615-AC61","title":"Modification of Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-03-01T03:41:20Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":69236,"subtype":null,"title":"Modification of Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions","toc_doc":"Modification of Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H1B Petitions","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Aliens","Cultural exchange programs","Employment","Foreign officials","Health professions","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Students"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":85}