USCIS Releases Additional Information About H-1B Registration Process

In a document scheduled to be published on Thursday, January 9, USCIS has released additional details outlining how the FY2021 H-1B cap registration process will work.

New information includes:

  • Before the initial preregistration window opens on March 1, employers and their representatives may set up their registration accounts. The date when online accounts can be set up will be announced on the USCIS website (www.uscis.gov).
  • After March 1, employers and their representatives will be able to set up their online account and then immediately continue on to register with those accounts.
  • After the initial registration window closes, employers and their representatives can set up accounts for future years.
  • In all timeframes, petitioners will be able to register multiple individuals in a single online session. The electronic system will allow for a filer to prepare, edit and store the record in their account prior to final payment and submission.

In all cases, step-by-step instructions for setting up an online account and completing the registration will be posted on the USCIS website.

As previously reported, during the initial registration program, beginning on March 1, 2020, H-1B cap-subject workers, including those eligible for the advanced degree exception, will need to register electronically with USCIS and pay the $10 fee. It is expected that the initial registration period will end on March 20, 2020, though the official deadline will be announced on the USCIS website.

Following the initial registration window, USCIS will do the initial selection process. USCIS will send notices electronically, via email or text, to all registrants with selected registrations who are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition on behalf of the individual named in the notice within the filing period indicated on the notice.

USCIS intends to announce the selected registrations from the initial registration period no later than March 31, 2020.