USCIS To Implement H-1B Cap Online Registration System

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has completed testing of its new online H-1B registration system for the upcoming FY2021 cap season, with an initial registration period starting March 1, 2020.

Under this new process, employers seeking cap-subject H-1B workers, or their authorized representatives, will complete an initial registration process that requires basic information about the company and each requested worker, in addition to a $10 fee per applicant. This registration period will be held from March 1 through March 20, 2020. If the number of registrants meets the annual numerical cap for H-1B petitions, USCIS will run a lottery on the pool of registrations no later than March 31, 2020. Petitioners will then be eligible to file cap-subject H-1B petitions during a 90-day filing period on behalf of beneficiaries whose registrations are selected.

USCIS will post instructions and key dates regarding this registration system on its website as the initial registration period nears. An official notice is also expected to be published in the Federal Register in the next few weeks.

McCown & Evans is following these developments closely, and will be contacting clients to prepare for the upcoming H-1B cap season in the coming weeks.