Two business immigration groups have filed a lawsuit seeking information about how the H-1B visa distribution system — including the visa lottery — works. It alleges that the U.S. has no right to keep most of the records secret.

It is not surprising that the H-1B distribution system is coming under scrutiny in a lawsuit. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) this year received 236,000 H-1B visa petitions for the 85,000 visas allowed under the current cap. The agency distributes visas each year via a lottery. The odds — roughly one-in-three — create a lot of frustration for applicants.

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