The registration for the much-sought-after H-1B visa for the fiscal year 2023 will begin from March 1 and the successful applicants will be randomly selected and notified online by March 31, according to the US federal immigration agency.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a statement said the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2023 H-1B cap will open at noon on March 1 and run through noon on March 18.

During the period, prospective petitioners and representatives will be able to complete and submit their registrations using the online H-1B registration system, the agency said in a statement on Friday.

“If we receive enough registrations by March 18, we will randomly select registrations and send selection notifications via users’ myUSCIS online accounts. We intend to notify account holders by March 31,” the USCIS said.

As mandated by the Congress, 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.